The country’s capital was the perfect location for the National Bailliage’s 2017 Culinary Weekend.

This annual event combines the National Final of the Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs Competition with extraordinary food and wine events.

Reimund Pitz, Conseiller Culinaire et des Professionnels, who will lead the American Culinary Federation’s team in the 2020 Culinary Olympics, saw to every detail of the lively and educational weekend.

Judy Mazza, Bailli of Washington DC, and her team successfully coordinated the venues and events. The competition was held at L’Académie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

The school’s founder/director, Mid-Atlantic Conseiller Culinaire Provincial Honoraire François Dionot (former president of the International Association for Culinary Professionals) was a most professional host.

The all-star panel of judges included:
- Raimund Hofmeister, Northeast Conseiller Culinaire Provincial (Chair of the Panel)
- Reimund Pitz, Conseiller Culinaire et des Professionnels National
- Michael Ty, National Vice-Conseiller Culinaire et des Professionnels
- Rene Marquis, Southeast Conseiller Culinaire Provincial
- Robert Phillips, Far West Conseiller Culinaire Provincial
- Claude Buzon, Maître Rôtisseur Honoraire, owner of Chef’s Hat Inc. in Edmonton, Canada
- Thomas Macrina, Maître Rôtisseur, Bailliage of Delaware Valley
- Mark Wright, Maître Rôtisseur, Bailliage of Buffalo
- Joseph Hardiman, Vice-Conseiller Culinaire, Bailliage of Orlando

At the Awards and Induction Ceremony, the young chefs were among a distinguished group inducted into the Chaîne by Bailli Délégué Harold Small, Member of the Conseils d’Administration and Magistral.

Immediately following the inductions, Michael Ty, Vice-Conseiller Culinaire et des Professionnels, announced that Kevin Maier, representing the Bailliage Provincial of Southeast, had taken top honours.

Kevin will now represent the Bailliage of USA in the International Final of the Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs Competition being held in Frankfurt, Germany, this fall.

Marie Addario
National Vice-Chargée de Presse
Editor-in-Chief of “Gastronome” and “Gastronome Extra!”

Photos courtesy of David Ramsey Photography (c), Charlotte (NC)