CAFÉ offers new opportunities to provide culinary educators first-hand access to foodservice industry experts through podcasts and webinars. We also connect industry culinarians with outstanding culinary arts educators through our awards program. This year CAFÉ added TWO new awards, a Technology award and Community Outreach award, bringing the total awards to 10 with cash prizes up to $10,000.

Keep reading for a description of the award programs, CAFÉ Talks webinars and the latest information on CAFÉ Talks podcast.  

CAFÉ awards

This year CAFÉ is offering up to 10 awards with cash prizes totaling $10,000 for community outreach, technology, entrepreneurial spirit, sustainability, commitment to education, and innovation. All awards should be emailed toThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. no later than April 1, 2021. Each submission requires a cover page with complete contact information including cell phone and the emailed application should contain the name of the award in the subject line. Click here for full award details and to see the 2020 winners.

• NEW Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts Community Outreach Award - $1,000 prize
  The brand-new award is open to culinary and hospitality programs or individuals making a positive impact in their communities via outreach programs such as food banks, recycling efforts, skill development for homeless, etc.
  
  
• NEW Mercer Culinary Technology Award - $1,000 prize
  Thanks to Mercer Culinary, we are pleased to offer the Technology Award to individuals/culinary programs that successfully introduced technology in their programs. This award recognizes educators’ efforts instructing students in the complex world of technology and culinary arts.
  
  
• Kendall College Entrepreneurship Award - $1,000 prize
  The award identifies culinary programs that either teach or encourage entrepreneurship in their programming or implement revenue-generation and cost savings into their operations.
  
  
• Green Award - $1,000 prize
  The Green award is offered to individuals/culinary programs that emphasize sustainability or other “green” aspects in their programs. This award is sponsored by the United Soybean Board who is proud to reach out to educators and to recognize their efforts instructing students in the importance of agriculture in their product selection and menu designing.
  
  
• Sysco Educator of the Year Award – Two $1,500 prizes
  These awards are open to secondary and post-secondary educators as well as culinary educators working within the non-profit training sector. There is no actual application form, but please include a cover letter to the Awards Selection Committee summarizing the nominee’s commitment to quality education as well as to his/her students and the advancement of the culinary, baking & pastry, and hospitality professions.
  
  
• Idaho Potato Commission Innovation Award – Two $1,000 and Two $500 prizes
  These awards recognize educators and/or programs at both the secondary and post-secondary levels who have shown to be innovative in their approaches to effective culinary arts education. Examples of innovation can be in the areas of new programs, delivery methods, partnerships, or relations with the local community. The award will be available to a post-secondary program (and runner up if applicable) and a secondary program (and runner up if applicable).

Zoom in for free Coffee with CAFÉ webinars
Join us on select Fridays at noon eastern for a 20-minute expert trends webinar on topics that keep instructors up to date on news from the culinary world. Watch your email for prompts to sign up for free. All presentations are limited to the first 100 participants to watch it live. New experts are being added weekly.

Chef Chris Koetke kicked off the program with a two-part discussion on what is umami and how to teach it. Idaho Potato Commission’s Alan Kahn and Chef Adam Moore followed with a discussion on how they support chefs and operators, create off-premise innovation, interpret shifting customer expectations and use potato-based inspiration in today’s culinary scene.

Did you miss these two presentations? No worries! All webinars can be viewed on CAFÉ’s YouTube channel. New webinars will be announced via email invitation for CAFÉ subscribers. Not a subscriber? Click here to become one and don’t miss another fascinating trend presentation with Coffee with CAFÉ.

Listen to culinary conversations on CAFÉ Talks podcasts
With season two closing, CAFÉ Talks podcasts will have featured 20 interviews with foodservice experts including a food historian, flavorist, numerous chefs and restauranteurs, pastry artists, product developer, coffee entrepreneur and more. These bi-weekly 45 minutes discussions are informative and entertaining. Podcasts are hosted by CAFÉ’s Paul Sorgule and sponsored by ATP, Mercer Culinary and Rational. Haven’t heard a CAFÉ Talks? Click here for a complete listing and to become a subscriber.

Here’s a plan to add CAFÉ Talks to the culinary classroom – a lesson plan that is. CAFÉ has asked a few of our exceptional educators to develop lesson plans for selected podcasts. Click here to see a lesson plan on how to teach flavors in the classroom based on episode eight “Name that Flavor” with food scientist and flavorist Dolf DeRovira. CAFÉ Members have access to several additional lesson plans. Click here to become a member and access all CAFÉ Talks podcast lesson plans and much more.