Kendall College Named Cooking School Of The Year

The School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College has won the Academy of the Culinary Arts Cordon d' Or - Gold Ribbon Cooking School of the Year Culinary Academy Award for 2008.

"We are honored and thrilled to be named the top cooking school in the world by this august awards program," says college President Nivine Megahed, Ph.D. "Preparing and motivating students to become industry leaders has been the cornerstone of Kendall College's School of Culinary Arts' unwavering mission since its founding by a core team of culinary visionaries 24 years ago."

Cordon d' Or - Gold Ribbon was established in 1985 by Noreen Kinney, who launched the Culinary Academy Awards Program in 2005 to recognize exemplary contributions to the culinary arts from around the globe. Kendall College's distinction marks the second Cooking School of the Year Award. Members of the Academy, who represent various facets of the culinary world and include past award honorees, nominate and vote for recipients of annual Culinary Academy Awards, which recognize top achievement by chefs, entrepreneurs, writers and journalists, food photographers, recipe developers, boutique farmers and cuisine advocates and promoters from every nation. The Cordon d' Or - Gold Ribbon Annual International Cookbooks and Culinary Arts Awards Program honors top cookbook authors.

"On behalf of the administration of Kendall College, we thank the Culinary Academy Awards committee for this outstanding tribute that would not have been earned without the extreme dedication of our faculty and staff, as well as the passion and enthusiasm of our extraordinary students," Megahed says. "Together, we remain committed to discovering best practices and establishing benchmarks in global culinary education so that culinary-training programs everywhere may continue to be inspired in our shared quest for excellence."

Chef Christopher Koetke, CEC, CCE, dean, will represent Kendall College and its School of Culinary Arts when he joins other award-category honorees at the Culinary Academy Awards Dinner on May 16, 2009, at the Don Cesar Beach Resort in St. Pete Beach, Fla., during the Tampa Bay Food & Wine Festival.

"This award from Cordon d' Or acknowledges the impact of avid, superbly trained graduates of Kendall's School of Culinary Arts on the U.S. foodservice industry, as well as our pioneering programs that position us as an education leader," Koetke says. "Kendall College is grateful to the Academy for recognizing the value of our sole product: graduates prepared to meet employers' need for qualified personnel."

For a complete list of recipients of Cordon d' Or-Gold Ribbon Culinary Academy Awards for 2008, visit www.cordondorcuisine.com.

About Kendall College's School of Culinary Arts
Founded in 1985, the School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College is among the premier culinary-training programs in the United States, offering associate and bachelor's degrees and certificates in culinary arts as well as associate degrees and certificates in baking and pastry. Since 2005, Kendall has occupied a stunning urban "Riverworks" campus in downtown Chicago. The American Culinary Federation has accredited its culinary-arts program since 1988. Celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2009, Kendall College also operates Schools of Hospitality, Business and Education. For more information, visit www.kendall.edu or call (866) 667-3344.

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