It was at the Orlando Summit last year that Chef Brian Boots pointed out that we are the industry leaders by virtue of one simple fact: we lead.
The Summit this year was themed "Driving the Industry: Setting the Standard". Catchy enough by itself, but I didn't really put Chef Brian's words into this perspective until the opening general session.
Chef Walter Bronowitz - American Culinary Federation Regional Vice President and American Academy of Chefs member, longtime culinary instructor, and a man of truly amazing professionalism - took to the stage and talked about standards.
He discussed how, despite the fact the ACF had existed since 1929 it wasn't until some 40 years later that the ACF got the term "chef" taken from the category of domestic servant and moved to its own category as a professional occupation. He talked about how standards are important in the development of professionalism and prestige.
And more importantly about how standards, once met, become inadequate and a new level must be reached. The bar must be raised.
Brent Frei - ACF's national Director of Marketing, long-time culinary journalist, and an incredibly sensitive and intelligent man with a deep passion for the professionalism of the culinary industry - followed Chef Walter and discussed the evolving image of the chef - image is everything. Although the common perception of chef often now includes a formal culinary training program, Mr. Frei assured me in conversation afterward that this is absolutely not the case - but I had that figured out already from these two great men.
I thought back to the ACF National conventions I have attended, and my private thoughts about how having all these people calling each other Chef and wearing whites everywhere was kind of...um, well... unnecessary.
After the first two Summit speakers, however, a new perspective was forming.
I had the pleasure of closing out the first day with the announcement of the Personal Chef International Code of Ethics - what I thought was the end of a process that began in Orlando.
At some point before taking the stage I got thinking about what Chef Brian, Chef Walter, and Mr. Frei said and this new perspective started setting in.
We are the leaders because we lead.
We set standards which are destined to become inadequate because we ourselves will raise the bar as we meet them.
We have travelled, in less than ten years, to a place of professional acceptance by a community of our culinary peers who took some 40 years to get that same acceptance themselves.
Image is everything.
However, in my newly-formed perspective, a positive or glossy image is nothing but an empty shell if it isn't based on skill, passion, professionalism, respect for self, and respect for one's chosen industry. Without those, the image crumbles.
It isn't about some specific individual technique, the chef's jacket and toque, or the honorifics we use for each other - those are components of the bigger picture.
We have set standards for ourselves as an industry. With the Code of Ethics we have collectively set standards for ourselves as individuals - standards that, once met, will require revising and honing as we seek to continually improve.
We have done this not for any competitive edge against other personal chefs or associations, but because we are in the process of creating ourselves, our image, and the foundation upon which that image is built. This is a process that will continue to grow and change and lay out a path for others. Something not to be taken too lightly.
The "Orlando Project" will never be complete as long as we continually seek to be better than we are.
This was going to be a "what a great Summit" message (But that kind of goes without saying and I'm sure there will be many posts about just how great it was).
Instead, it has become a "this was an important Summit" message.
Each of us has the opportunity and obligation to help build, maintain and expand the professionalism of ourselves as individuals and our industry in general. Our skills, presentation, conduct - everything - contributes to that.
We are each creating the foundation upon which our collective image is built. It's a pretty responsible position.
Take cooking and business courses, get involved in association and industry projects, mentor a new Personal Chef, participate more in the forums, evangelize what we do to the public - improve yourself and your industry every day (it is noteworthy that these very attributes are found in Dane Mechlin, APCA's first Personal Chef of the Year award recipient).
I have a newfound respect for our association, its members, the Personal Chef industry and, yes, myself. This was an important Summit - we continued to set new standards.
Now we live up to them and raise that bar.
It was a pleasure getting reacquainted with some of you, and meeting so many more. What a fine group of professionals.
