-Freedom Chef Challenge- Next week I will be attending and hopefully grabbing video footage of the Beehive Chef’s ACF Western Regional. You are probably wondering.. What does this have to do with Military Chefs??? --> “For the first time ever in recorded history of the world every branch of the United States Armed Forces will send the cream of the crop, two man culinary teams to enter the Pentagon and do battle, against each other. The Pentagon will be stationed in the middle of the convention hall with the trade show booths in a circle around the Pentagon.
The teams will be armed with chef knives, pots, pans and ovens and a mountain of food, including a feature item food product to choose from. The judging panel will consist of highly decorated military Generals, local celebrities and culinary judges. Two roving cameras and reporters will catch the action and interview the teams while cooking and the action will be displayed on giant screens hanging above the pentagon. “
- ACF Beehive Chefs Chapter Web Page
Can’t wait to see (and film) the competitors in action.
-How to Become a Military Chef- I receive many emails from junior cooks and potential recruits asking what they need to do to become Chefs in the Military. Example:
“I am currently attending the California Culinary Academy. I am interested in being a chef for the Military. I want to serve my country in the best way I know how by serving them great food from all around the world. I am 18yrs old started the CCA when I was 17. I have been working in restaurants since I was 13yrs old. I got my first sous chef job when I was 17yrs old. I may be young but I have an old soul. Thank you for taking time to read my letter.”
I usually respond with the path I feel a Coastie should take to become a chef and give them the contact information for Chefs in all the other services.
Instead of responding to potential recruits/junior cooks this way, I was hoping to create a thread that explains the process, for each service, on how a young cook can work their way to becoming a chef through the military. When I receive these emails I will be able to send them a link to this forum where they can read your views on what options they have to reach their goals.
The Culinary Institute of America is going to provide a free class to the winner of the May Military Chef of the Month Award If you were thinking about submitting a package for Chef of the Month, now is the time to do it before the competition increases. We have no packages from the Navy. Being in the Navy will play a large part in our selection process next month. So get those packages in today! Click here to apply: