Our friends at the BC chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier have put together a new scholarship program to support women in the culinary industry. Check it out:

Les Dames d’Escoffier, BC Chapter, have created a scholarship program supporting women in the culinary industry pursuing higher learning and advancement in their field. Chapter President, Lee Murphy, is thrilled to announce that they are doubling scholarship dollars to be granted in 2018, thanks to consecutive banner fundraising years, significant contributions from British Columbia’s notable culinary figures Bruno Marti and Nicky Major, and proceeds from the Dames Wine project crafted by one of Canada’s foremost wine authorities, Mireille Sauvé.

Dovetailing with culinary New Year’s resolutions, annual Les Dames scholarship applications are being accepted until January 31, 2018, and will be awarded at a celebratory reception in the spring. Applicants are evaluated by a select group of Les Dames: 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 2018 scholarship should be submitted through the Les Dames website.

Past scholarships have been awarded to women beginning a career, advancing or upgrading their skills in culinary fields including cuisine, horticulture, nutrition, butchery, wine, beer, and coffee. Generous support from BC Chapter sponsors gifting courses and expertise has created further opportunities for scholarship recipients. These include Cacao-Barry’s Chocolate Academy, Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, Service Excellence with Two Rivers Specialty Meats, Northwest Culinary Academy of Vancouver, John Bishop, and—new for 2018—All Canadian Wine Championships.

2017 marked the inaugural year for the Service Excellence with Two Rivers Specialty Meats Scholarship in memory of highly regarded chef Tina Fineza. This exclusive hands-on experience was awarded to chefs Emily Poison and Robyn Sigurdson. Last October, Jason Pleym of Two Rivers Specialty Meats escorted the two lucky scholarship recipients to three unique BC ranches and a processing plant, where they learned about animal husbandry and sustainable farming practices. They completed their educational excursion with a tour and butchery session at Two Rivers Specialty Meats in North Vancouver.

“I believe it was a great experience and well worth the time taken to see it all happen,” says Two Rivers Specialty Meats’ co-founder Jason Pleym. “This is something that would have been so special for Tina. The humane treatment of animals was something she absolutely thrived on and the reason we worked so well together for so long.”

BC Chapter members of Les Dames d’Escoffier host food-and-beverage-related events that raise funds to support outreach programs including Project Chef, Growing Chefs and Tayybeh Syrian Cuisine, as well as a scholarship program that gives women in the industry a hand by supporting their educational goals and further advancement in their fields. For more information on the scholarship program and upcoming events, visit LesDames.ca/scholarship-program.

About Les Dames d’Escoffier, BC Chapter | Les Dames d’Escoffier is a leadership culinary organization composed of women who have not only achieved success in their professions but who contribute significantly to their communities. Les Dames d’Escoffier, British Columbia Chapter, is a society of professional women. Their purpose is to promote the understanding, appreciation and knowledge of food, wine, hospitality, nutrition, food technology, the arts of the table and other fields as they relate to these disciplines; to promote improvement in supply, preparation and service in these areas and to promote the education and advancement of, and to supply advice and assistance to, women in careers related to food, wine, hospitality, nutrition, food technology, the arts of the table and other fields as they relate to these disciplines.