ACF OF GREATER BUFFALO NEW YORK NY061

By John Bartimole

The ACF Greater Buffalo Chapter is known for celebrating its youth — many of its fundraisers are focused on scholarships for students who will be pursuing careers in the culinary arts. Even more symbolic of its focus on youth is the fact that its president, ACF Chef Phoebe Beiter, CCC , is one of the youngest presidents of any ACF chapter in the country at just 23 years of age.

“We award scholarships in the range of $250-$500 to deserving students,” says Chef Beiter, junior sous chef at the Country Club of Buffalo. “All of those proceeds go to our scholarship fund, which then helps students at two local culinary programs. Niagara Falls Culinary Institute gives memberships to their graduating class and SUNY Erie Community College offers memberships to students involved in the chapter. Both schools are ACFaccredited and the teachers and students are very active in the chapter.”

One of the chapter’s signature fundraisers is its annual golf tournament. Funds from that tournament have since rebounded from a

The ACF of Greater Buffalo New York Board

President

Phoebe Elizabeth Beiter, CCC

Chairman of the Board Jean White

V ice President

Secretary

Treasurer

M ark G. Wright, CEC, AAC, HOF, HBOT

Kyle J. Haak, CEPC

Donald A. Schmitter, CCE, CEC

Bylaws/Policy & Procedures Committee Chair

Associate Member

Board Member

Board Member

Board Member

Student Chapter President

Scott E. Steiner, CCE, AAC

James M. Binner, HAAC

Evan Thur

Jacob Rhodes

Joseph J. Piazza, CEC, CCA, AAC

Danica Geinitz pandemic-caused dip in dollars; the event last year helped the chapter’s scholarship fund swell to more than $6,000.

Most recently, the chapter held a fundraiser at Remington Tavern and Seafood Exchange, where the burgers went for $30 but part of the proceeds funded scholarships and certifications.

Networking Opportunities

Buffalo chapter leaders host social meetups once per month with a focus on networking. “We’re all about the people and relationships and networking,” says longtime ACF Chef and Buffalo chapter Vice President Mark Wright, CEC, AAC, HOF, HBOT. Chef Wright, who has been an ACF member for 54 years, recalls the first crop of Buffalo chapter members being high-end chefs who had immigrated from France and Italy and were looking to create a safe place to connect and support each other in finding work and honing their craft. “I remember as a young chef back then how those chefs would always be talking about ‘the good ole’ days.’”

Since then, the membership has grown to include chefs from all backgrounds and segments. “We have members of all types, some from country clubs, some health care chefs and many over the years from Rich Products, which is based here, along with many students from local culinary schools,” Chef Wright says. “We have always had a strong focus on students and mentoring the next generations of chefs.”

Says Chef Beiter, “Right now, we’re at 148 members, and that includes 79 professional members and 69 student members. We’re averaging between 30 and 60 participants at our meetings, which is up from our low of 15 or so during COVID. And we have between one and 12 students at each meeting.”

“We did have issues during COVID,” she adds. “We lost a good portion of membership at that time. We tried to do Zoom meetings, but they weren’t nearly as effective as in-person meetings. Not only was it difficult to stay in touch with our members, but some of our members are just across the border in Canada, and it was almost impossible to cross the border during COVID.

“But we were patient, and we realized that some chefs, even as COVID ebbed, couldn’t afford to come back — at least not immediately,” Chef Beiter says. “It took a solid two years of patience and recruiting chefs back to get us to where we are today.”

Educational Focus

Chapter members recently enjoyed a sous vide demonstration and an update on health regulations at Buffalo State University, where its culinary students prepared hors d’oeuvres for attendees.

“We try to have a demonstration or talk at each meeting,” says Chef Beiter. “That information really helps everyone. And we’re fortunate that sponsors enjoy participating, too. In June, a Smithfield [chef] broke down a half-hog for us — it was very educational.”

Chef Beiter herself is an educator who teaches basic culinary skills at Erie Community College. “There’s nothing quite as fulfilling as seeing a student do something properly for the first time — their face just lights up,” she says.

That desire to teach comes from her own experience during culinary school. “When I began in culinary school, there was so much I didn’t know, like the proper way to hold a knife or how to cut an onion,” she says. “And then, working at the Country Club at Buffalo was where I really honed my culinary skills and gave me the background to help teach in college.”

With its emphasis on the next generations, ACF of Greater Buffalo New York already has formed a strong foundation not only for the culinary industry today — but also for the future.