AMERICAN CULINARY FEDERATION PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Media Contacts: February 4, 2013 Patricia Carroll: (904) 484-0247, [email protected] Jessica Ward: (904) 484-0213, [email protected]

Chefs Compete for ACF Pastry Chef of the Year Title in Louisville, March 2 Pastry Chefs from Georgia, Florida and North Carolina Face Off For Chance at Regional Award

St. Augustine, Fla., February 4, 2013—Four pastry chefs will go head-to-head in Louisville, Ky., March 2, to see who will win the title of American Culinary Federation (ACF) Southeast Region Pastry Chef of the Year, sponsored by Plugrá® European Style Butter. The competition takes place at Sullivan University, (3101 Bardstown Rd, Louisville, Ky., 40205) March 2, during the 2013 ACF Southeast Regional Conference, held March 1-4 at Louisville Marriot Downtown. The winner will advance to the national competition in Las Vegas, July 21-25.

The ACF Pastry Chef of the Year award recognizes a pastry chef who displays a passion for the craft, has an accomplished reputation in the pastry field and has helped educate others by sharing skills and knowledge. At the regional competition, chefs will prepare four portions of a hot/warm dessert. They will have 15 minutes to set up, 60 minutes to cook, 10 minutes to plate the dessert and 15 minutes to clean up. Judges will evaluate cooking skills, taste and professionalism. The winner will be announced at the Regional Awards Gala, March 4. Here are the 2013 candidates:

Georgia James Mullaney, CEPC, of Roswell, Ga., is owner and executive pastry chef for J. Mullaney Pastries, a consulting and catering firm based in Atlanta. Mullaney has 27 years of professional experience in pastry and baking and was executive pastry chef at The Ritz- Carlton, Amelia Island, Fla., and The Cloister at Sea Island, Sea Island, Ga. Mullaney began his career in the U.S. Army and was an honor graduate from the foodservice specialist training program, Fort Jackson, S.C. He then apprenticed at The Cloister and traveled to Europe to further his skills. In 2005, he received the National Champion title from the National Pastry Team Championship, Phoenix, and was selected to represent the U.S. in the World Pastry Championships in 2006 and 2009. His work was featured on Food Network and TLC and in Pastry Art & Design. In 2012, he received ACF Greater Atlanta Chapter Inc.’s Pastry Chef of the Year and Chef of the Year awards.

Bill Lipscomb of Decatur, Ga., is assistant pastry chef at Capitol City Club, Atlanta, and a culinary arts instructor at The Art Institute of Atlanta. Lipscomb originally graduated from Hampton University, Hampton, Va., with a bachelor’s degree in physics. After graduating, he worked at Planet Hollywood in Washington, D.C., and realized his passion for cooking. In 1999, Lipscomb returned to school at the French Pastry School, Atlanta. He was an apprentice under Chris Northmore, CMPC, at Cherokee Town and Country Club, Atlanta, where he was able to develop his baking skills. Lipscomb received an opportunity in 2002 to attend classes at Ecole Lenôtre Paris for baking and pastry, which led to an executive pastry chef position at The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta. He was a gold medalist at the 2000 Southern Pastry Classic, Atlanta, and was featured in Season, Pastry’s Best and Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles. Lipscomb is a member of ACF Greater Atlanta Chapter Inc. and has won several medals for ACF-sanctioned competitions.

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Florida Rodrigo D. Nunez, Jr., of Kissimmee, Fla., is executive pastry chef at Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Orlando, Fla., where he manages the bakery and pastry department for the hotel’s restaurant and convention center. Born in Manila, Nunez has a bachelor’s degree in food and technology from the Roxas Memorial College of Trade and Arts, the Philippines. With more than 20 years’ experience in the pastry industry, Nunez has worked at some of the best resorts and hotels in the Philippines and U.S., including Manila Diamond Hotel, Manila, and the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino and Flamingo Las Vegas Casino & Hotel, Las Vegas. In 2005, a job opportunity in Denver allowed him to continue his education and graduate from The Art Institute of Colorado, Denver, with an associate degree in culinary arts. Nunez has been competing in ACF-sanctioned challenges for more than 12 years and has received several medals and awards. He is a member of ACF Central Florida Chapter.

North Carolina Geoffrey Blount, CEPC, CC, of Stanley, N.C., is program chair and instructor for the baking and pastry arts program at Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC), Charlotte, N.C., and owner of an online pastry consulting company, Sugar Buzz Inc. He earned his associate degree in culinary arts from CPCC in 1995 and attended The French Pastry School, Chicago, in 1999. His professional career includes executive pastry chef at Gaston Country Club, Gastonia, N.C., Renaissance Nashville, Nashville, Tenn., and Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel, Baltimore. Blount has earned numerous awards, including Best Pastry Shop, 2005 and 2006, and Top Ten Charlotte Chefs, 2004. Specializing in chocolate, Blount has competed in numerous culinary competitions throughout his career. His dessert creations were featured at James Beard Dinners in 2004 and 2005. He received ACF North Carolina Chapter’s 2010 Chef of the Year and 2011 Pastry Chef of the Year awards. Blount also serves on the ACF National Pastry Committee.

Hundreds of chefs, foodservice professionals and students will attend this year’s culinary conference in Louisville. There will be educational seminars, culinary demos, networking and social functions, culinary competitions, meal events and more. For information, visit www.acfchefs.org/events or call (800) 624-9458. Follow conference happenings on Twitter @ACFChefs or #ACFSE or on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ACFChefs.

National and regional sponsors of the 2013 ACF events series are: Alabama Gulf Seafood; Allen Brothers; American Roland Food Corporation; American Technical Publishers; Barry Callebaut; The Beef Checkoff; BelGioioso Cheese, Inc.; Campbell Soup Company; Canada Cutlery Inc.; Central Region State Beef Councils; Clemens Food Group; Custom Culinary, Inc.; Ecolab®; Gordon Food Service®; Idaho® Potato Commission; Idaho Preferred®; Irinox USA; Johnson & Wales University; JTM Food Group; Kentucky Beef Council; Lactalis Foodservice; Maines Paper & Food Service, Inc.; McCormick For Chefs; MINOR’S®; Mississippi Beef Council; Mississippi Seafood Marketing; NEWCHEF Fashion Inc.; North Carolina Beef Council; Plugrá® European Style Butter; PreGel AMERICA; R.L. Schreiber, Inc.; RC Fine Foods; Riviana® Foods; S&D Coffee; Sysco®; Tennessee Beef Industry Council; Tyson Food Service; Unilever Food Solutions; Victorinox Swiss Army, Inc.; Virginia Beef Industry Council; Vitamix® Corporation; Winston Industries, LLC; and Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

About the American Culinary Federation The American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF), established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in North America. With more than 20,000 members spanning 200 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and programmatic accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States, with the Certified Executive Chef®, Certified Sous Chef® and Certified Executive Pasty Chef® designations the only culinary credentials accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions, and to the Chef & Child Foundation, founded in 1989 to promote proper nutrition in children and to combat childhood obesity. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org. Find ACF on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ACFChefs and on Twitter @ACFChefs.

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Editor’s note: To arrange interviews, for high-resolution photos or to request press credentials to attend, contact Jessica Ward at [email protected] or 904-484-0213, or Patricia Carroll at 904-484-0247 or [email protected].