Foodservice Educators Win Big at Culinary World Cup 2014
10 December 2014
AI Pittsburgh instructor Culp helped Culinary Team USA place third overall in Luxembourg, while U.S. chef-educators in individual competition represented their nation well.
Shawn Culp, CEC, department chair of culinary arts, baking/pastry and HRM at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Bridgeville, Pa., was part of the outstanding performance of ACF Culinary Team USA at the 12th-annual Villeroy & Boch Culinary World Cup 2014 in Luxembourg, Nov. 22-26. Garnering two gold medals and the highest score in the cold-food competition, the ACF team representing the United States placed third overall in one of the largest international culinary competitions in the world.
Culp (pictured) and five other chefs comprising ACF Culinary Team USA competed in the hot-food kitchen Nov. 22, where they prepared a three-course dinner for 110 people in six hours. On Nov. 25, the team competed in the cold-food portion of the competition, where they presented finger foods, a cold buffet platter, starters, a three-course vegetarian menu and a pastry-arts menu and showpiece.
The quadrennial Villeroy & Boch Culinary World Cup takes place during EXPOGAST, an international gastronomy trade show held at Luxexpo in Luxembourg. More than 1,000 chefs from 56 countries competed in individual competitions and national, regional and junior team competitions last month.
ACF Culinary Team USA competed against national chef teams from 29 other countries for the opportunity to win the Villeroy & Boch Culinary World Cup. Singapore, defending its 2010 title, won overall, and Sweden placed second.
“I am extremely proud of ACF Culinary Team USA’s performance at the Culinary World Cup,” said Joseph Leonardi, CEC, team manager. “This is the team’s first international competition together, and to watch them grow as chefs and see their hard work and dedication recognized by some of the best chefs in the world is inspiring. To win a gold medal in both competition categories is a great accomplishment and proves that American cuisine and products are among the best in the world. We look forward to bringing our best to the American Culinary Classic in 2015 and the 2016 ‘culinary Olympics’ in Erfurt, Germany, and representing America’s world-class cuisine to an even larger international audience.”
Four other U.S. foodservice educators competed at the Culinary World Cup, individually rather than as part of teams, in culinary-arts, pastry-arts and cold-food categories:
- Jeremy Abbey, CEC, CCE, CCA, culinary director at Dorsey Culinary Academy, Pontiac, Mich., earned a silver medal, Single Exhibitors-Chefs
- Matthew Schellig, CEC, CCE, culinary instructor/catering manager at Dorsey Culinary Academy, Roseville, Mich., earned a bronze medal, Single Exhibitors-Chefs
- Peter Sproul, CEC, chef instructor at Utah Valley University, Orem, earned a silver medal, Single Exhibitors-Chefs
- Robert Walljasper, CEC, CCE, assistant professor at New York City College of Technology, Brooklyn, earned a diploma, Culinary Artistry D1
George Castaneda, CEC, ACF Culinary Team USA member and executive chef of Sodexo North America, Franklin, Tenn., won the Villeroy & Boch Culinary World Cup in individual cooking.
Since 1982, a national chef team has represented the United States and the ACF at the Culinary World Cup. In 1986, 1990 and 1994, ACF Culinary Team USA won the international competition and was the first team to receive three consecutive wins. In 2006, the team won two gold medals and placed fifth. ACF Culinary Team USA returned to the winners circle in 2010 with two gold medals and a third-place finish.
ACF Culinary Team USA sponsors are Certified Piedmontese, College of DuPage, NEWCHEF Fashion Inc., Unilever Food Solutions, US Foods and Wayne Farms® Chef’s Craft.