With their mission, to promote education and advancement of women in the restaurant industry, Women Chefs and Restaurateurs (WCR) is the organization with membership of over 2,000 - representing all areas of the food service industry. Members utilize and promote a wide-range of products for their personal use, in their business and to their restaurant customers. WCR programs and events provide regional, national and international mentoring, educational and networking opportunities.
The national conference is one of the Women Chefs and Restaurateurs' main educational vehicles. Held in the fall of each year, WCR's conference draws more than 300 culinary professionals together to enjoy keynote presenters, master classes, and panel discussions, break out educational sessions, networking breaks and lunches, mini-trade fair and cookbook signing, culinary tours, champagne receptions, dessert buffets and dinner social functions at area restaurants.
One of the featured events of the conference is the Women Who Inspire Celebration Dinner and Awards Ceremony traditionally held on Sunday evening. Women Chefs and Restaurateurs recognizes women who have demonstrated excellence and innovation in: the dining room, kitchen, baking and pastry arts, beverage profession, farming and food production, community affairs, as well as for a lifetime of culinary excellence. Although the majority of those who work in the food service industry are women, very few ever reach the upper echelons of management.
WCR believes that awards like these inspire and encourage women to pursue and excel in culinary careers. WCR launches a call for nominations for the "Women Who Inspire Awards" in June of each year. Hundreds of women are nominated for these prestigious awards. The mission of the WCR Awards Program is to inspire present and future generations of women chefs and restaurateurs. The "Women Who Inspire Awards" committee reviews each application and chooses the winner in each category based on merit. They consider how the nominee fits with the theme of inspiring present and future generations of Women Chefs and Restaurateurs. WCR presents to each recipient an award that is engraved with the Women Who Inspire logo, the recipient's name and award title, including sponsor name where applicable. WCR allows individual corporate sponsors to also give out their own award in conjunction with the WCR award. The awards are presented each year at a gala held in conjunction with WCR National Conference.
Women Chefs and Restaurateurs launched a new Mentorship Program in 2002. WCR has always been about "women-helping-women" in the culinary field. The new mentorship program formalized the informal mentoring that has always existed.
The WCR Local Exchange program offers culinary educational programs in local markets. These meetings take place across the country and are both educational and networking opportunities for the members and prospective members. If you are a woman in the culinary industry Women Chefs and Restaurateurs is an organization designed especially for you.