The Société Culinaire Philanthropique

The Société Culinaire Philanthropique, one of the oldest Association of Chefs, Cooks, Pastry Chefs, etc…. in the United States – was founded (on April 22, 1865) by a group of French Chefs; F. Lesourd, L. Ragot, F. Deliee, A. Wurth and Gustave Feraud. Today, the Societe has over 400 members which includes some of America’s most legendary chefs.

Every year, these men and women are responsible for the organization of The Salon of Culinary Arts which features live cooking demmonstrations, culinary competitions and more than 300 captivating “food as art” displays. The Salon also promotes new ideas, Hospitality Industry best practices and provides learning strategies for both high school Culinary Arts students and experienced chefs.

The Salon has done so much for the promotion of French Cuisine in the United States since 1866, date of the first Salon of Culinary Arts. On the occasion of the 85th Anniversary of the Societe, on April 1, 1950, the Government of the French Republic, in recognition of meritorious services rendered to the culinary profession at large, awarded the Societe the Foreign Affairs Medal of Honor (Medaille d’Honneur des af-faires Etrangeres).