The ACF Tampa Bay Chapter of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) is a non-profit organization of food service professionals and their supporters with goals of which self-education, scholarship and charitable community service are just a few. Chefs of the ACF Tampa Bay Chapter have been providing community support through charitable donations and sponsorships from the chapters’ beginnings. Their efforts also expand to raising scholarship funds for area students seeking to broaden their culinary skills through education and management coursework.
The past several years have witnessed the Chefs’ efforts to enhance the lives of those in the Tampa area, among them a group of foster children siblings, by creating a garden where the children may learn about healthy eating by tending and harvest of the fresh produce. Scholarships for area students attending culinary schools locally or abroad are central to these Chef’s mentorship of the next generation of Culinarians and fund raising to support those students is through their annual Scholarship Dinner where they have raised an average of $10K over the past several years.
The ACF has an established program to educate children and their families about nutrition known as the “Chef and Child Foundation” through which the Tampa chapter is very active. Chef mentor Vince Blancato works with several bay area elementary schools teaching students how to plant, tend, harvest and prepare a variety of fresh produce as part of the ACF’s Child Nutrition Month every October. In response to the food challenges of Covid-19 the Tampa ACF Chapter partnered with FiveStar Gourmet Foods to distribute their Simply Fresh “Farmers to Families” brand produce meal packs through Metropolitan Ministries. The Chefs unloaded 30 pallets, just over 14K pounds, of prepared salad packets of Caesar salad and Cole Slaw mix designed to feed families of four to six people.
The Chefs of the ACF Tampa Bay Chapter encourage anyone interested to learn more about their community support efforts and mentorship of the next generation of culinary artists to reach out and contact them through their website to foster a better understanding of their overall mission of service to their members and the greater Tampa community. Interested parties need not be a Chef or even work in the hospitality industry to become involved, culinary enthusiasts and “foodies” are welcome as well.
About the ACF Tampa Bay Chapter:
Our chapter’s purpose is the advancement of the culinary profession and culinary awareness through education and certification of the membership and close interaction with other local organizations. The chapter membership is composed of chefs, cooks, culinary educators, culinary enthusiasts, students, and purveyors from Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas Counties and the surrounding metro area. Our primary local outreach program is the ACF Educational Foundation’s Chef & Child Initiative, an ongoing program whereby our chapter chefs go out into their communities to educate children and families in understanding proper nutrition by providing tools and resources for community-based programs led by American Culinary Federation chef members.
Tampa ACF Chefs Provide Charitable Community Support – Cont’d
About the American Culinary Federation:
The American Culinary Federation, Inc. is a professional, not-for-profit organization for chefs and cooks. It was founded in 1929 in New York City by three Chefs organizations: the Societe Culinaire Philanthropique, the Vatel Club and the Chefs Association of America. The principle goal of the founding chefs remains true to the ACF today – to promote the professional image of American chefs worldwide through education among culinarians at all levels, from apprentices to the most accomplished Certified Master Chefs. Successful culinarians know the value of belonging to the oldest and largest organization of chefs and cooks in the United States.
Chapter Information:
Tampa Chapter American Culinary Federation
Chapter Contact:
Tim Nicholson
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