Editor’s Note: This special feature focuses on professional chefs from various facets of the foodservice industry. Culinarians answer questions delving into their views of current foodservice developments and how culinary students can obtain positions within different industries. Introduce your students to a plethora of foodservice career options. Click here to view the previous profiles.

In what foodservice area do you work?
My work has focused on the meat industry – from serving as a culinary educator and chairperson of the Johnson & Wales Meat Cutting curriculum to now working as a Center of the Plate Protein Specialist for Performance Foodservice/Roma Foods. In my spare time at DeNCO Enterprises, I serve as a meat consultant to a handful of corporations and independent operators.

Briefly describe your position.
I work with a variety of internal departments across the PFG/Roma system as well as their partner meat companies. I provide sales support and training on protein-centered topics, including market updates, sales tools and information resources. My work includes yield tests, cuttings, product utilization and butchery demonstrations, tastings or simply talking through best-fit and most-profitable solutions for our customers and area sales managers.

In my consultative/advisory roles, I continue to provide educational butchery demonstrations for the American Lamb Board and work with Chef John Folse/White Oak Estate and Gardens team on special educational programming for the annual “Fete des Boucher; Preserving Traditions the Boucherie” event. I also have a collaborative partnership with Chef Johnny Poche’s in-house restaurant butchery, salumi and charcuterie program. Lastly, I’ve helped with meat facility designs, HACCP plans and product development projects.

Where do you see your foodservice area in five years?
The foodservice industry will get more involved with food supply systems, understanding where our food comes from and how animals were raised and fed. I anticipate steady growth from local, smaller independent ranch and farm direct-to-consumer businesses. The foodservice industry will remain focused on supporting local, all-natural, environmentally responsible, humanely handled, sustainably raised and harvested animal protein sources.

Convenient, low-labor, quality protein-centered products for operators will continue to see growth. So many labor-saving proteins are available pre-diced, sliced or pre-portioned, pre-seasoned, marinated, ready-to-cook, fully cooked or sous vide.

Describe two current foodservice trends you are seeing right now.
American Lamb Birria is trending on social media feeds and menus. Economical cuts like American Lamb shoulder, shanks or leg lend well to braising or low and slow dry heat cooking methods offering value, bold flavors and profits alike.

Following the charcuterie board craze, I’m now seeing many innovative exciting renditions of boards such as compound butter boards, mashed potato boards or even spectacular mustard boards.

What steps would you advise culinary graduates to take in securing a position in today's market?
Network with and emulate successful professionals. Align with companies that provide career development. Seek opportunities to lead a team, teach in front of a classroom or present to a boardroom.

Please describe one surprising event in your professional life that made a valuable impact on your career today.
The transition from being a traditional chef to becoming an educator was uplifting. Sharing my expertise for another’s benefit and future success was extremely fulfilling. It’s especially heartwarming when former students, work colleagues or clients reach out to share specific instances of something that I did, directly or indirectly, that inspired something useful in their pursuit of professional or personal success. Better yet is hearing that the shared knowledge was passed on further to their own staff, student or client success.

About Chef Mark M. DeNittis
A 1992 Johnson & Wales University Culinary Arts graduate, Chef DeNittis has worked in college dining, hotel resorts, private clubs, guest ranches and restaurants. He is recognized as a leader in culinary butchery and the meat industry. DeNittis has received multiple accolades from 2007 Meat Processing News Magazine’s “10 Rising Stars under the age of 40, Industry’s Best Hope” to receiving the Gallo Family Artisan Foods Gold Medal for his duck breast prosciuttini.

DeNittis served as a culinary educator and chairperson of Johnson & Wales University Meat Cutting curriculum from 2000 to 2010 and was the chairperson of the lamb section revision team for North American Meat Processors “Meat Buyer’s Guide 6th Edition” 2009. In 2011, DeNittis founded The Rocky Mountain Institute of Meat’s ACF-accredited professional culinary butchery curriculum, recreational consumer educational programming and advised on the development of its U.S. military special forces survival butchery programming. DeNittis has owned/operated and worked in USDA meat manufacturing facilities as well as for various corporations such as Center of the Plate Protein Specialist, National and Regional Sales Director, Corporate Chef and Brand Ambassador.