BOSTON, Nov. 17 -- Women Chefs & Restaurateurs today announced the recipients of the 2002 Women Who Inspire awards, sponsored by Chicago Cutlery, Food Arts, and Champagne Perrier Jouet. The awards were presented at a celebration dinner in conjunction with the groups annual conference at the Hyatt Regency Cambridge on Sunday, November 17.
"The third annual WCR Women Who Inspire Celebration Dinner inspires present and future generations of women chefs and restaurateurs," says Ann Cooper, president of the 2,000 member Women Chefs and Restaurateurs organization. "WCR strives to recognize achievement within our industry and pay tribute to those women who have demonstrated excellence in the kitchen and in the front-of-the-house. The award also recognizes outstanding contributions in community and civic affairs."
Two new award categories were presented this year. The WCR/Champagne Perrier Jouet Golden Goblet Service Award recognizes excellence in the beverage profession and the WCR Golden Bowl Award identifies excellence in the baking and pastry arts. Their accomplishments are characterized by passion, service dedication and innovation within the industry. To be considered for an award, each nominee's professional work must have served as an inspiration to other women in the industry. All women involved in the foodservice industry were eligible for nomination.
The 2002 Women Who Inspire Award Winners are:
WCR/Food Arts Golden Fork Award
Recognizing Excellence in the in the Dining Room
Kathy King, General Manager, Boulevard Restaurant, San Francisco, Calif.
WCR Golden Whisk Award
Recognizing Excellence in the Kitchen
Melissa Kelly, Primo Restaurant, Rockland, Maine
WCR/Chicago Cutlery "A Cut Above" Community Service Award
Recognizing Outstanding Contributions in Community Affairs
Terri Hutter, Executive Chef, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, Raleigh, N.C.
WCR/Champagne Perrier Jouet Golden Goble Service Award
Recognizing Excellence in the Beverage Profession
Andrea Immer, Dean of Wine Studies, French Culinary Institute, New York
City
WCR Golden Bowl Award
Recognizing Excellence in the Baking and Pastry Arts
Amy Scherber, Owner, Amy's Bread, New York City
WCR Barbara Tropp President's Award
Recognizing a Lifetime of Culinary Excellence
Edna Lewis, Atlanta, Ga.
About Women Chefs & Restaurateurs (WCR)
WCR was founded in 1993 by the late chef and author, Barbara Tropp and seven others to educate and advance women in the restaurant industry and to better the industry as a whole. As a mainspring of WCR, Tropp took her role as teacher and mentor to a very broad group of women. In the decade since its founding, WCR has seen its membership grow to more than 2000 individual and corporate members. It has played a major part in the sea change that has taken place in the industry with women now occupying half of the top slots as chefs and restaurateurs. WCR's Women Who Inspire awards are designed to inspire present and future generations of women chefs & restaurateurs.
For specific details about Women Chefs & Restaurateurs, the Women Who Inspire awards and membership information, contact program director Alison Walker at 1-877-927-7787, ext. 241 ( awalker@hqtrs.com ).
Chef2Chef News Desk