The January 31st deadline for Les Dames d’Escoffier‘s scholarship program is fast approaching. The new scholarships – launched last year – aim to support women in the culinary industry. Check it out and pass it on:

Les Dames d’Escoffier, BC Chapter, announces over 30 scholarships available for women in culinary, hospitality and arts of the table.

“There is no age limit to foraging a path through the culinary and hospitality industry”, says Mireille Sauvé, the 2019 incoming President of the BC Chapter of Les Dames d’ Escoffier.

The scholarships, which range in value from $500 to $5,000, reflect the diversity of the hospitality industry, supporting culinary, butchery & pastry; wine, spirits and beverages; business, education and writing; food-science and farming, viticulture & horticulture. It welcomes BC based women at the beginning of their career; established and/or more mature women wishing to upgrade their education for career advancement, or even a significant career path change.

Says Dame Mireille, “In 2018 we awarded over 40 applicants from across British Columbia supporting over $75,000 in higher learning opportunities for women. We are well on target to meeting or exceeding that dollar amount this year and, in order to award larger scholarships, we have limited the number of scholarships to thirty. We welcome women of all ages to apply by January 31st”.

Each year members of the Les dames d’Escoffier, BC Chapter volunteer their time to raise funds for scholarships, as well as partner with generous sponsors who support the scholarship programs with both gifted and sponsored courses. These have included private donations from Chef John Bishop (Bishop’s), Chef Michel Jacob (Le Crocodile), Chef Bruno Marti (Le Belle Auberge); a sizable donation from the sale of “Dames” wine (Dame Mireille Sauvé) as well as grants and course donations by the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts (PICA – Yves Potvin and Julian Bond); Two Rivers Meats (butchery stagiaires); Barry Callebaut Canada and Northwest Culinary Academy of Vancouver (NWCAV – Tony Minichiello).

In 2018 Les Dames d’Escoffier, BC Chapter supported programs at Barry Callebaut Chocolate Academy Centre, Montreal; The Biodynamic Association Education Program, East Troy, MI; FAB (workshops for women in the hospitality industry), Charleston, NC; Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute (FCCI) Cacao Grader Intensive, Seattle, WA; Northwest Culinary Academy of Vancouver (NWCAV); Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts (PICA); Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), Calgary; St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS; Two Rivers Meats, North Vancouver; UC Davis, California; Vancouver Island University; Vancouver Pastry Training Centre; Vancouver Community College (VCC); VinItaly International Italian Wine Ambassador certificate program (Verona, Italy) and Wine Plus+, Kelowna.

Les Dames thanks these sponsors for creating further opportunities for scholarship recipients.

This year’s funds were raised though three major fundraisers, “Summerdine” a concurrent dinner party supported by over 30 sponsor restaurants across the province; The “Culinary Garage Sale”, with major donations from the estate of Chef James Barber, and the annual “Culinary Icon” gala, which this year honoured Chef Diane Clement, the “Mama Tomato” of eating local, fresh and organic in Vancouver.

Funds raised support these Les Dames scholarships, as well as major outreach programs that include Project Chef, Growing Chefs and Tayybeh Syrian Cuisine. This past year also included a legacy gift, in honour of the BC Chapter’s 25th anniversary, of a $2,500 donation from the BC Chapter to UBC’s “Whole Genome Sequencing of Okanagan Wine Yeast Strains” study.

Applications (which requires an essay) are evaluated by a select group of professional women in the culinary field whose purpose is to promote the understanding, appreciation, and knowledge of food, wine, hospitality, nutrition, food technology, arts of the table, and more. Applications for the 2019 scholarship must be submitted by midnight, January 31st at LesDames.ca/scholarship-program.

Les Dames d’Escoffier British Columbia Chapter is an invitational organization of women leaders in food, beverage and hospitality whose mission is education, scholarship and philanthropy.

For more information on the scholarship program and upcoming events, or to sign up for the mailing list, visit Les Dames website.

Good luck to all the applicants!