Category: International Chefs Day

A message from Vanessa Marquis, CEC AAC, Chairman of Worldchefs International Chefs Day Committee

With a brighter future ahead of us, many chefs went out and shared some time with children this year for International Chefs Day.  Chef Dr. Bill Gallagher’s vision for this day was a success.  I want to thank everyone who took a moment to share his vision with students and children in your community in October.  

With the support of Chef Emmanuel Lorieux and Nestlé Professional, the theme ‘Growing a Healthy Future’ was a continued effort to teach children about sustainability and eating plant-based forward ingredients.  It was so amazing to finally see the smiles on the faces of everyone at the events this year.   

International Chefs Day is simply about spending time with children by cooking, gardening, and teaching them about healthy eating habits. I am proud of my fellow members of Worldchefs for getting out there and doing so.  I want to thank all the chefs and young chefs who participated in the events. Thank you, Worldchefs President Thomas Gugler, the International Chefs Day Committee, and the Worldchefs head office for your continued support of this campaign. I look forward to seeing all your pictures and videos of International Chefs Day in October 2023!

Warm culinary regards,

Vanessa Marquis, CEC AAC
Chairman, International Chefs Day Committee
“Worldchefs, Preparing Children for a Healthy Life”

Photos from Around the Globe

Words from Chefs

Chef Ann Brown of Scotland

What does International Chefs Day mean to you?

International Chefs Day personally means an opportunity to take forward Bill Gallagher’s innovative message regarding children and the life-lasting benefits of a healthy diet. Following this concept into adulthood can only be a good thing and I feel proud to be part of an ever-growing worthwhile event and which to me is also extremely rewarding. 

Children laughing and having good fun cooking healthy dishes while in the company of others they may not have met before is another aspect of International Chefs Day which I feel is a real positive.

International Chefs Day gives chefs the platform to encourage the younger generation to become aware and have knowledge of the choices they make with regard to what they eat and why.

What was the best part of your event and why?

Perhaps the most enjoyable thing for me was when the children while standing in the middle of the vegetable garden were informed that the plants they were looking at were alive. The expressions on their faces really were something to behold. Most of them were looking at something they had previously only seen on a supermarket shelf or in a freezer bag.

Storing the vegetables gathered from the garden and then using them as the ingredients for what they created in the kitchen was something the children could connect and identify with.

Another aspect that I feel has real relevance is the supportive attitude of the parents who always seem appreciative of the learning process concerning the children not forgetting the fun aspects of

Chef Mathew Shropshall of England

What does International Chefs Day mean to you?

The day highlights people’s love for food, the hospitality industry, and bringing everyone together. Worldchefs have developed a truly inspiring platform for everyone around the world to come together for a good cause! It continues to be a real honor to be involved and I wish International Chefs Day a long and successful future!!

What was the best part of your event and why?

In England, we enjoyed developing a YouTube video for the rest of the world to watch. Following COVID-19 and all the mental health issues that young people face, bringing some fun and cooking exciting dishes really made the day!

And now what you have all been waiting for…
just look at our final counts for 2022!

Children Reached: 95,601       Chef Participation: 3,788

Thanks to everyone who helped in making this year another success!

Mark Your Calendars: International Chefs Day is October 20th!

I am delighted to share with you the 2022 International Chefs Day theme.  

We continue to be safe with our health and will maintain the option of holding a fun workshop in-person or by creating a fun video or cooking demonstration to be shown on social media.  

Let us keep moving forward on positivity and good health, the Worldchefs way, by Preparing Children for a Healthy Life!

Over the past years, Worldchefs has partnered with Nestlé Professional to teach children around the globe about the importance of healthy eating by hosting fun-filled workshops worldwide.

This year’s International Chefs Day campaign will be Growing a Healthy Future!

To ensure a healthy life & planet for future generations, it is vital that we start teaching our children about the impact that production and consumption of food has on the environment.  It is for this reason that our theme for International Chefs Day will remain focused around sustainability, the environment, growing gardens, and healthy eating habits.

How we can make a difference!

Children have endured so much over the last couple of years.  Let us give them something to celebrate and enjoy with friends.  

Join me and Chefs from around the globe on or around October 20^th and host a fun and exciting event or create a short video to post on social media.  Every child can benefit from this experience, and it is important now more than  ever to share the opportunity to learn and enjoy eating healthy food! 

To get started, go to www.internationalchefsday.worldchefs.org and download the toolkit and recipes.  These will help you to organize and launch your International Chefs Day 2022 Workshop.   The toolkit will have everything you need to run an International Chefs Day workshop from instructions to materials to recipes to social media to games , and to tips to growing a garden.

In 2004, the Late Dr. Bill Gallagher implemented International Chefs Day to celebrate our profession, to share and pass on our knowledge and culinary skills to our children. It is our legacy to help children get excited about healthy food and our industry.  

If you are planning to host a Growing a Healthy Future workshop, the entire International Chefs Day Committee members are standing by to help and guide you.  Just ask, we are here for you.  Email us at [email protected].

International Chefs Day 2021 Results Are In!

A message from Vanessa Marquis, CEC AAC, Chairman of Worldchefs International Chefs Day Committee

The new norm has brought us hesitancy to be around others. Many families in parts of the world have chosen to keep their children homeschooled. Our connection to one another seems to be through social media and technology. But I am very proud to say that many of you still made efforts to continue Chef Dr. Bill Gallagher’s vision for International Chefs Day. I want to thank everyone who took a moment in October to share his vision with your child, your students, and your community while still being unsure of our health safety. 

It has been heartwarming to see your pictures and videos during the last few weeks. The smiles on your faces and the smiles on the children’s faces are priceless. Chef Emmanuel Lorieux and Nestlé Professional did a fantastic job revising the toolkit to gear this year’s campaign, Healthy Food for the Future, towards online classes, and provided great ingredients to focus on our well-needed healthy immune system. Children had a chance to cook with you and taste delicious recipes that were all plant-based and sustainable.

This International Chefs Day was another successful year. We still had many challenges, but chefs came through to make events possible if their cities allowed it. So I want to thank all the chefs who participated in events, got creative to find a way to reach children with fun videos, sent prepared samples to schools, and held live Zoom calls to reach as many children as possible! One last thank you to Worldchefs President Thomas Gugler, the International Chefs Day Committee, and the Worldchefs Office.

Words from Chefs Worldwide

Jolanta Gervienė
Lithuanian Chefs and Confectioners Association

“This project indirectly is a dream of my childhood: to become a primary school teacher. During classes with children, I have fun combining a dream with a beloved (and favorite) job. I enjoy talking about a healthy diet and cooking at the same time. I believe dreams can come true. It is very heartwarming to look at children’s sincere emotions, questions and funny answers during this project. After each lesson I receive positive feedback and feel that I’m doing something purposeful. I can see that in the eyes of every child and hear it in the honest word THANK YOU, followed by the question: When can you come again?”

Philippe Frydman
South African Chefs Association

“International Chefs Day allows us to reflect on what we have done and what still needs to be done in our industry, whatever part of it we are involved. It also gives recognition to our chosen careers.

Just to see the joy on all those young faces, and sometime we get extra lucky and manage to find a pearl amongst them that finds their true calling and realizes that this is what he or she wants to do for the rest of their life! There is nothing better and that is why we should be doing this.”

  

Emmanuel Lorieux
Nestlé Professional

“This project indirectly is a dream of my childhood: to become a primary school teacher. During I think that for us, Worldchefs and Nestlé Professional, International Chefs Day is very important in many ways. First, I would say that it’s our duty to educate the future generations on healthy and sustainable eating and that also we use our power of the white jacket and professionalism to bring credibility and relevancy to the content of the campaign. Also we are not only educating children, but also their parents as well through the virtual materials shared with them!”

Robin Austin
Scottish Chefs

“What can I say! What a fantastic day we had with the pupils from Castle Brae High School in Edinburgh. They made Tropical Green Smoothies and a plant-based wholemeal pasta bolognaise. The pupils had a great time and enjoyed using fresh, healthy ingredients. They invited the Head of School along to taste the food and she was delighted with the flavor, color and texture. We were privileged to be working with such a fantastic school. They have amazing pupils that cook from their heart.”

Thanks to everyone who helped in making this year another success!

For many Australians, this year has been even tougher than the last to put meals on the table for ourselves and our loved ones.

On October 20 for International Chefs Day, Le Cordon Bleu Australia teamed up with Our Big Kitchen and former Masterchef contestant Courtney Roulston to prepare and donate 1,000 healthy, gourmet three-course meals to those in need.

The healthy three-course menu was curated based on the International Chefs Day 2021 theme of Healthy Food for the Future, with a touch of Le Cordon Bleu culinary flair:

• Entree: Pomegranate Glazed Pumpkin, Organic Quinoa Tabouli, Radicchio & Heirloom Tomato Salad, Hummus, Sumac Flatbread
• Main: Pistachio-Crusted Barramundi, Beetroot Relish, Rosemary Roasted Potatoes, Crispy Sprouts, Confit Tomato
• Dessert: Sour Apple cake, Coconut Walnut Crumble, Lime Coconut Custard 

The 1,000 three-course meals were prepared and packaged by a team of over 20 volunteers from Le Cordon Bleu Sydney and Our Big Kitchen, led by Le Cordon Bleu Sydney Program Manager Karen Doyle. The meals were given to five charities in Sydney including The Salvation Army, Bear Cottage, Wagec Women’s Refuge, Tribal Warrior and Newtown Greek Community Centre.

“Every year, Le Cordon Bleu celebrates International Chefs Day across the 20 countries we operate in around the world. After a challenging 18 months for many Aussies, being able to use our culinary skills and experience for a good cause on International Chefs Day seemed like the perfect opportunity to give back to those who have been doing it tough,” says Alan Bowen-James, Executive Dean, Le Cordon Bleu Australia.

“It’s amazing to see such a fantastic group of chefs spending their International Chefs Day giving back and helping others. It really is in the spirit of what it means to be a chef – the happiness that comes from cooking delicious food and seeing the smiles on the faces of the people who get to enjoy it.”

For Courtney Roulston, the chance to spend her day cooking and giving back is an opportunity she is thrilled to be part of, “When I was asked to be involved in this amazing initiative, I jumped at the chance to lend a hand.”

“As a chef, I can’t think of a better way to spend International Chefs Day than by giving back to our community.”

Our Big Kitchen has had a long-standing partnership with Le Cordon Bleu Australia having taken on several student placements over the years, so it was the ideal fit as a charity partner.

Among the team of Le Cordon Bleu Australia chefs and Our Big Kitchen head chef and volunteers, students from Le Cordon Bleu Sydney were able to get some valuable hands-on catering experience which includes learning to cook dietary specialty dishes as part of their study while contributing to a great cause.

The Le Cordon Bleu Sydney students had the opportunity to work alongside Courtney Roulston and learn a few tricks of the trade from her throughout the day.

Danny Salsbury, Community Outreach Coordinator with the Salvation Army stopped by Our Big Kitchen to collect 200 meals which were handed out to those in need across Sydney CBD.

“We’re very thankful to Our Big Kitchen who has been supplying the Salvation Army with meals for five years. To provide a little Le Cordon Bleu culinary flair in the meals we give to Aussies in need certainly brightened their day,” said Danny.

Cook up a storm with Le Cordon Bleu Australia’s recipe for Chefs Day: Couscous and Chickpea Salad with Roasted Heirloom Carrots and Yoghurt Dressing.

You can hear more from Australia on World on a Plate. Tune in to Epsiode 45: Uniting a Nation with Karen Doyle, President of the Australian Culinary Federation and Le Cordon Bleu Sydney Program Manager.

Article feature photo: From left to right – Courtney Roulston, Karen Doyle, Alan Bowen-James, John Daly