Tom Birmingham, CEC, Director of the Club + Resort Chef Association, shares an association update and offers a discount code for any club chefs interested in joining.
We started the Club + Resort Chef Association (CRCA) in January 2020, as a way to continue the networking between the unique group that gathers at our annual Chef to Chef Conference. And while the world has changed dramatically since we launched the association, our mission to help club chefs stay connected year-round, sharing challenges and successes, certainly hasn’t. If anything, the need for the association has only intensified, and we have continued to push forward and gain momentum. The CRCA is now 150 members strong, and growing.
This has been an unprecedented year as we all face new challenges dictated by the pandemic. But that’s exactly why it’s critical to stay connected and informed about the changing landscape, so that you can help to keep your staff and members safe and satisfied.
One of the ways we’ve kept chefs connected is through Chef to Chef Live!—a weekly video series where I’m joined by a small group of club chefs on a video call to discuss current operations, adjustments that have been made as a result of COVID-19, and how they are moving forward despite many unknowns.
I always encourage the fellow chefs I talk with to stay connected. It can only help in bettering each facility and staying on top of what other clubs are doing in your area. In addition to the overriding mission of the CRCA, we are also working to form smaller, regional chapters, so that we can have more-frequent meetings and events once the COVID curtain is finally lifted.
The CRCA is also working toward ways to add value for its members in the form of certification and apprenticeship programs. We are forming a panel of club chefs to navigate these waters and bring these programs to life. We are also getting ready to activate a job board, where association members can view and post club chef positions from around the country, as listed by two of the top club chef recruiters in the industry. Lastly, we have an active members forum, where the community can ask and answer a variety of questions specific to our segment.
But in order to participate, you have to join. Visit association.clubandresortchef.com and select Join CRCA under the Membership menu. And because we know times are tight and budgets are tighter, through the end of 2020 we are offering a discount of 50% off culinary memberships. Just use the promo code
CHEF2CHEF when checking out to receive this discount.
Please also remember that our team is here as a resource to this association and this industry, and feel free to contact us anytime.
