AMERICAN CULINARY FEDERATION PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release: Media Contact: August 11, 2016 Stacy Gammill: (904) 484-0213, [email protected] Cher Harris, CEPC, of The Hotel Hershey, Named 2016 Pastry Chef of the Year at the American Culinary Federation National Convention St. Augustine, Fla., August 11, 2016—The best pastry chef in the nation, according to the American Culinary Federation (ACF), is Cher Harris, CEPC, executive pastry chef at The Hotel Hershey, Hershey, Pennsylvania. Harris received the title of ACF Pastry Chef of the Year and $5,000 after winning a national competition during Cook. Craft. Create. Convention & Show in Phoenix, July 15-19. The ACF Pastry Chef of the Year award, sponsored by Plugrá® European-Style Butter, was established in 2004 and 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. Four finalists from ACF regions competed at the national convention after first being nominated by colleagues and then winning their respective regional competitions. “There was such great competition, it was totally unexpected,” said Harris. “I thought everyone presented really well. It means so much personally because I have looked up to those who have won the national Pastry Chef of the Year competition before me. I’m very proud to represent the Northeast region.” Pastry chefs had 2 hours, 30 minutes, to prep and serve three items representing the designated theme Southwest Native American: a cold plated dessert featuring honey, pine nuts and prickly pear; a signature cookie and showpiece that was at least 2 feet tall, composed 75% of either chocolate or sugar work. A panel of ACF-approved judges determined the winner. Winning Menu: Plated dessert Prickly pear Bavarian torte themed after a dreamcatcher, with pignoli japonaise, creme fraiche panna cotta and honey cake Cookie Cornmeal lime signature cactus cookies Showpiece Navajo and Hopi tribe craftsman-inspired chocolate centerpiece Harris’s experience includes executive pastry chef/member of the opening management team, Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, Grantville, Pennsylvania; pastry chef/pastry arts instructor, Harrisburg Area Community College, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and assistant pastry chef, Bent Creek Country Club, Lititz, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Harrisburg Area Community College, Harrisburg, with associate degrees in culinary arts and food service management. In 2014, Harris won -MORE- first place in the Ladies’ World Pastry Championship, Rimini, Italy, and received the 2014 Pastry Queen title. She also won a gold medal at ACF’s Delhi Catskill Competition in 2011. Dessert Professional recognized Harris as one of the Top 10 Pastry Chefs in America in 2014. Harris is a member of ACF Harrisburg Chapter and was named chapter Pastry Chef of the Year in 2009, 2012 and 2014. For a list of past ACF Pastry Chef of the Year award winners, visit http://www.acfchefs.org/ACF/Events/Awards/PCOY/ACF/Events/Awards/PCOY/#winners. More than 850 chefs, cooks, students and foodservice professionals attended Cook. Craft. Create. Convention & Show, hosted by the ACF Chef’s Association of Arizona, Inc. The event provided attendees with numerous opportunities to advance their professional development and enhance their culinary skills through informative workshops and seminars, cutting-edge demonstrations, a trade show featuring nearly 100 exhibitors, a career fair, national competitions and ACF’s annual national awards. Sponsors of Cook. Craft. Create. Convention & Show are: Aloutte Cheese USA; Allen Brothers; American Technical Publishers; BelGioioso Cheese, Inc.; Canadian Lentils; Custom Culinary®; Friedr. Dick Corporation; Ecolab®; The Glutamate Association; Jones Dairy Farm; J.R. Simplot Company; Lactalis Foodservice, Inc.; Libbey Foodservice; Minor’s®; National Fisheries Institute; NEWCHEF Fashion Inc.; OptiFog Lenses by Essilor; Par-Way Tryson Company, makers of Vegalene; Perdue Foods, LLC; Plugrá® European-Style Butter; PolyScience Culinary; RATIONAL USA; Restaurantware LLC; Taylor Shellfish Farms; Unilever Food Solutions; US Foods; Valrhona; Victorinox Swiss Army; Vitamix; and Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. About the American Culinary Federation The American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF), established in 1929, is the standard of excellence for chefs in North America. With more than 17,500 members spanning more than 150 chapters nationwide, ACF is the leading culinary association 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®, Certified Executive Pastry Chef® and Certified Culinary Educator® designations 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 and on Twitter. # # # .