Who We Are

“The Authority on Cooking in America”

The American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF), a professional, organization for chefs and cooks, was founded in 1929 in New York city by three chefs’ organizations: the Societe Culinaire Philanthropique, the Vatel Club and the Chefs de Cuisine Association of America. Since our inception, little has changed in our principal goals. We are an organization based on promoting the professional image of American chefs worldwide through education of culinarians at all levels.

In 1976, ACF forever changed the culinary industry by elevating the position of the executive chef from service status to the professional category in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Dictionary of Official Titles.

Since this change, the culinary industry and our organization have grown tremendously. In fact, ACF is the largest professional chefs organization in North America. We are made up of more than 22,000 members that belong to more than 230 chapters in four regions across the U.S.

We offer culinary competitions, certification, national apprenticeship program, regional and national events, magazines and much more to help foster the growth of professional chefs and the foodservice industry.

If you are not part of our elite group of chefs, we invite you to join us and gain access to the best culinary resources available.

• ACF at a Glance
• ACF Mission Statement