American Academy of Chefs raises funds for future stars at the Fort Harrison

CLEARWATER, Fla. - May 9, 2024 - PRLog -- Under the signature chandelier in the 10th floor Crystal Ballroom of the Church of Scientology's Fort Harrison, 100 gathered to celebrate culinary excellence. The seven-course dinner, was held under the auspices of the American Academy of Chefs (AAC), the honor society for the American Culinary Federation (ACF).

Attendees included Chef Joe Aiello – the Chair of the AAC and Chef Rene Marquis, the President of the ACF.

Dinners such as these are important to the culinary future of the US, said Chef Vanessa Marquis – the President of the Tampa Bay Chapter of the ACF and the evening's MC.

"Being a chef doesn't just involve the kitchen duties," said Chef Marquis. "It's also about what you do outside of the kitchen. What do you do for your community? I see the AAC as true leaders always trying to make a difference in their community or with the young chefs through mentorship."

The mentorship was in full play as student chefs worked alongside veteran chefs to plate up an array of courses that included cheese donuts filled with Tellegio cheese, lobster sausage, and wagyu beef short rib. The menu was created by the Church of Scientology's Executive Chef Zoltan Vajna and Chefs Barry Reid and Chef Geoffrey Blanchette.

"These events raise funds and in this case, provided six scholarships to young chefs," said Marquis, also the evening's MC. "What made this event unique was the Chefs at the Fort Harrison. Their dedication and passion for the craft really sets a new standard of what the AAC dinners should be."

Flag's chefs regularly ply their skills by creating menus for events where the general public is invited. If you are interested in being included on the guest list for future non profit, charity or community events, please call 727-467-6860.

About the American Academy of Chefs (AAC)

The honor society of ACF, the American Academy of Chefs (AAC) represents the highest standards of professionalism in the organization, society and industry. The Academy's primary mission is to promote the education of all culinarians through mentoring, awarding scholarships, and by providing grants to professional working chefs looking to further their career. To learn more, visit www.acfchefs.org.

About the Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization

The Scientology religion was founded by humanitarian and philosopher, L. Ron Hubbard. The first Church of Scientology was formed in the US in 1954 and expanded to more than 11,000 churches, missions and groups, in 167 nations. Flag serves as the spiritual headquarters for Scientologists planetwide. Flag represents the hub of the greater Scientology worldwide community as a dynamic, multilingual organization. To learn more, visit www.scientology-fso.org.