Roughly 2,000 chefs and pastry chefs from more than 60 nations will gather in Stuttgart, Germany later this week to participate in one of the largest and most diverse international culinary art exhibitions in the world, The Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung (IKA), otherwise known as the “Culinary Olympics.”
ACF Culinary Team USA will represents the United States on this global stage, showcasing American chefs, cuisine and products to the world. Of the eight members of Team USA, five are country club chefs.
The 2020 IKA/Culinary Olympics will kick off on Feb 14th. It will be livestreamed and viewers can watch the competition here.
Gerald Ford, CMC, team captain
Ford was most recently the Executive Chef of The Ford Plantation in Richmond Hill, Georgia. He competes in both hot- and cold-food competitions and is a gold-medalist ice sculptor. Ford is one of 72 ACF Certified Master Chefs® in the country.
Read more:
- How Gerald Ford, CMC, Stays Motivated Weeks Before the Culinary Olympics
- PODCAST: Gerald Ford, CMC, Shares His Culinary Philosophy
- Chef’s Thoughts with Gerald Ford, CMC, Executive Chef of The Ford Plantation
Scott Craig, CEC, CCA, team chef
Craig is Director of Culinary Operations at Myers Park Country Club, Charlotte, N.C. He has competed extensively in ACF-sanctioned competitions, as well as international competition including Hotelympia in London, The Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg, and IKA in Erfurt. He is an ACF- and WACS-certified judge.
Read more:
- How Competition Launched Chef Scott Craig’s Culinary Career
- Why Club Chefs Must Pay It Forward
- Clubs Serve Up Snack Bars with Style
Paul Kampff, team chef
Kampff is the Executive Chef of St. Louis (Mo.) Country Club. He is an avid competitor, having won many gold medals, and is also coach to junior culinary teams. Kampff was named Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis Inc.’s 2009 Chef of the Year, and is also the recipient of an ACF national President’s Medallion.
Geoffrey Lanez, CEC, team chef
Lanez is Executive Chef of The Patterson Club in Fairfield, Conn., and CEO/owner of Burrd Productions in Boston, Mass. He holds numerous medals from competing in ACF-sanctioned competitions, including the title of Northeast Region Student Chef of the Year in 2014. He is the recipient of the Johnson & Wales University Apprenti Cuisinier Special Recognition Award of Excellence.
Jesus Olmedo, team chef
Olmedo is assistant banquet chef at The Country Club in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Olmedo previously served as captain of 2016 ACF Culinary Youth Team USA, receiving two silver medals in the 2016 IKA/Culinary Olympics.
Additional team members include:
- Team Pastry Chef: Sharon Lin, who received an AOS degree in Patisserie and Baking from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Los Angeles and an AOS degree in Culinary Arts from The Art Institute of California, Hollywood.
- Team Chef: Vanessa Marquis, CEC, who is the Executive Chef at the Silo Event Center and Core Brands inBrands in Tampa, Fla.
- Team Pastry Chef: Kelsee Newman, CEPC, who is a pastry arts instructor at Sullivan University in Louisville, Ken.
