AMERICAN CULINARY FEDERATION PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Catie Gainor: (610) 455-2780,
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Ralph Feraco, CEC, AAC, Receives National Dr. L.J. Minor Chef Professionalism Award at the 2017 American Culinary Federation National Convention St. Augustine, Fla., July 26, 2017—Ralph Feraco, CEC, AAC, executive chef at Kensington Golf and Country Club, Naples, Florida, was honored by the American Culinary Federation (ACF) with the national Dr. L.J. Minor Chef Professionalism Award. Feraco received the award during the Chef Professionalism Dinner at Cook. Craft. Create. ACF National Convention & Show held in Orlando, Florida, July 9-13. “Being the recipient the Dr. L J. Minor Chef Professionalism Award means everything to me because it recognizes 25 years of service to the industry and beyond,” said Feraco. “Every chef wants to be recognized for their talent and cooking skills, but to be recognized for what you do other than cooking is a true honor and a humbling experience.” The Dr. L.J. Minor Chef Professionalism Award, sponsored by Minor’s®, honors culinarians who help elevate the status of chefs and cooks in the U.S. The award is presented to a chef who exemplifies the highest standard of professionalism through certification, continuing education and training, culinary competitions and community involvement. “Congratulations to all the regional winners,” said Matt Schimpf, division vice president, Chef2Chef Sales, Minor’s®. “We are proud of these award winners who are continuing the legacy of Dr. Minor in support of the chef profession. We feel Ralph Feraco is an outstanding chef and a great ambassador of culinary excellence.” Prior to working at Kensington Golf and Country Club, Feraco worked as executive chef at Naples Sailing & Yacht Club, Naples, Florida; and executive chef, Nassau Country Club, Glen Cove, New York. Feraco has received more than 45 culinary awards, including a gold medal in 2004 and a silver medal in 2008 at the Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung, commonly referred to as the "culinary Olympics." Feraco has dedicated much of his time to charity, including raising money for culinary student scholarships and culinary outreach programs, along with mentoring culinary students in his kitchen. He is a member of the American Academy of Chefs, the honor society of ACF, and a member of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Naples Chapter, as well as past president and member of ACF Caxambas Naples and Marco Island Chapter. More than 1,100 chefs, cooks, students and foodservice professionals attended Cook. Craft. Create. ACF National Convention & Show. The event provided professional development through informative workshops and seminars, cutting-edge demonstrations, a trade show featuring 70 foodservice industry exhibitors, career fair and national culinary competitions. For high-resolution event photos, visit the ACF Flickr page. -MORE-
About the American Culinary Federation The American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF), established in 1929, is the standard of excellence for chefs in North America. With more than 17,500 members spanning more than 150 chapters nationwide, ACF is the leading culinary association offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and programmatic accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States, with the Certified Executive Chef®, Certified Sous Chef®, Certified Executive Pastry Chef® and Certified Culinary Educator® designations accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. The American Culinary Federation Education Foundation is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions, and to Chef & Child, founded in 1989 to promote proper nutrition in children and to combat childhood obesity. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org. Find ACF on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. About Minor’s® Minor’s® has a heritage of providing exceptional flavors in products perfectly made to serve any operation. Created by chefs for chefs, each of our products — from bases to sauces to concentrates — uses high-quality ingredients that are selected, sourced and handled with care to the highest standards of quality and food safety. The results are flavors preferred by chefs and products with exceptional yield. In 2016, Minor’s became a Ready-to-Eat facility, meaning Minor’s Ready to Flavor™ products can now be added to hot and cold applications without the added step of cooking. Designed to outperform all others, the flavors from Minor’s always capture authentic tastes and always work exactly as needed in your favorite dishes. Because the right flavor means everything. Flavor means business™. www.flavormeansbusiness.com
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