Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabrielle Evans
Gabrielle, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
We started as the Columbus Chefs Association in the early 80s, still part of the American Culinary Federation before we uniformized our name. We changed our name to the ACF Columbus chapter to build a name that didn’t have to say Columbus, Ohio. People would know we were in Columbus, Ohio, because we made
“ACF in general is uplifting the American Chef and educating the American chef” – Chef James Taylor, CEC CCA AAC (former president of the Columbus Chapter)
“Education, competition, accreditation- community outreach” Chef James Taylor, CEC AAC HOF MBA
Program Accreditation—ACF monitors what the schools are doing to ensure that students are learning the necessary skills to succeed in the field. Our accreditation at Columbus State Community College is up for review in the fall- it helps us to maintain the minimum standards of the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation (ACFEF).
Creating the apprenticeship program- Two National members made the program through the Columbus ACF and in tandem with Columbus State Community College. We started in the Autumn, and a new group of students in the spring- almost always had 125 live working apprentices throughout the city. We were Nationally recognized for our apprenticeship program 3 times through the years.
Our chapter has also been nationally recognized as the ACF chapter of the year.
One of the first things we did was the Ohio Hungar task force- “Just Desserts- chefs donated 3 different tortes/cakes, we would raise 2 to 3 thousand dollars for this organization for these cakes that we auctioned.” Around Valentine’s Day, so that the cakes could be used.—This is how we started our chef and child program. Chef Gabrielle Evans, CC CPC, is our current chef and child chair.
“We held meetings throughout the city, using different things to bring chefs in and creating friendships with the chefs who came in.” – Francine Greff, HAAC (one of our chapter founders)
We have the profound honor of having many of our members serving on national committees over the years. We look forward to further progressing our local chefs to strive for great things and serve the community.
Competitions- Teaches chef’s timing, teamwork, research, and financial responsibilities. Researching things like different dishes and nutritional value, including how nutrition has changed over the years, tracking food trends, and different diets.
Certification- Nutrional training and managerial training create a safer eating environment.
“We are chefs supporting chefs, hoping to help propel this industry to new heights and guiding young culinarians through the process. ” Chef Gabrielle Evans CC CPC
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There are always challenges, especially in an organization with several people. Everyone has their own way of doing things. The important task is making sure that we support each other and treat each other with respect. We are always rising to new heights.
We are a volunteer organization. Sometimes, it is a challenge to find a balance between people who can give their time to support our organization and people who can give in other ways. This has become more of a challenge because the world has changed.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Passionate about helping people- getting chefs better prepared for certification. We want to help people in our industry improve and provide a creative and safe product for the general product.
People eat with their eyes before they ever even taste a dish; we strive to make the culinary community a better place for the young chefs coming in after us.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
We can see a lot more automation. The general public is much more knowledgeable about food and healthy eating habits. They are becoming increasingly aware of what they’re eating. We expect them to want to see old dishes created in new, different, and healthier ways.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://acfcolumbus.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/columbusacf?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ColumbusACF
