HISTORY
Chef on “First”
When those in foodservice discuss The
Balsams Grand Resort Hotel, one name
is certain to come up in the conversation:
Phil Learned, CEC, AAC, HOF. That’s
because Learned, 83, spent nearly 40
years at the resort in Dixville Notch, N.H.,
finally retiring in 2005 at the age of 79. He
had served as executive chef from 1966
to 1977, and was then director of food
services and a managing partner.
training, including Ferdinand Metz, CMC,
WGMC, AAC, HOF, who became president
of The Culinary Institute of America, and the
late Anton Flory, CMC, WGMC, AAC, one of
the first six master chefs certified in the U.S.
“Anton Flory was an absolute gentleman and
a great chef,” Learned says. “He was the kind
of man who made us all proud to be chefs.”
in the military, including three in the U.S.
Marines, enlisting in 1943 at the age of 17
for the duration of the national emergency.
He served in the U.S. Army from 1951 to
1954, and spent about 14 months in Korea.
“This was when I decided that I didn’t
want to make the U.S. military my career,”
Learned says. Fortunately, he had a fallback
plan, and went to work for his grandfather,
Charles, whom, he says, was “a great cook.”
But he might be equally well-known for
two “firsts” in New Hampshire. Learned
was the first certified executive chef
in the state, and he created its first
apprenticeship program.
“I pursued certification because I realized
how important it is to a chef’s career, and
to set an example for New Hampshire
chefs,” Learned says. But it’s the latter,
undoubtedly, that separates Learned
from the crowd. He was inducted into the
American Academy of Chefs Culinary Hall
of Fame in 2009, and now says: “I think
the apprenticeship program prompted this
honor more than anything else I did.”
Learned is quick to point out that no one
achieves such an excellent apprenticeship
program alone. “A lot of credit goes to the
cooperation of my managing partners at
The Balsams, Warren Pearson and Steve
Barba,” he says. He also credits chefs at
The Balsams who contributed greatly to
the program, including Charles Carroll,
CEC, AAC, executive chef at River Oaks
Country Club, Houston, who was The
Balsams executive chef for 13 years,
and Wilfred Beriau, CEC, CCE, AAC,
department chair, culinary arts, Southern
Maine Community College, South
Portland, Maine, who was chef de cuisine
at The Balsams from 1980 to 1984.
Learned soon realized that a fact true
today was true back then: The demand
for cooks in the U.S. exceeds the number
of qualified cooks—hence, his efforts
to achieve certification and promote
apprenticeship. But that wasn’t all. He
decided that his colleagues needed a
place where they could support each other.
The program began when Learned
recognized the need for a reliable culinary
staff that could operate with a high degree
of professionalism. The answer? Train them
yourself. So, in 1978, The Balsams adopted
the National Apprenticeship Training
Program for Cooks and Pastry Cooks. Today,
the program requires three years of training
and apprentices can simultaneously earn
an associate degree from White Mountains
Community College in Berlin, N.H.
He also commends the board of directors
of the Balsams Culinary School: Steve
Learned, CCC; Gary Sheldon, CEC, AAC;
Brian Coffey, CEC, AAC; Kevin Shyne,
School to Work program; Rick Tillotson,
Tillotson Corp.; Katharine Eneguess,
president, White Mountains Community
College; Uwe Roggenthien, general
manager, The Balsams; Roland Henin, CMC,
CCE, AAC; Noble Masi, CEPC, CMB, AAC,
HOF; and Anton Flory, CMC, WGMC, AAC.
“I founded ACF Chapter of Northern New
Hampshire so that the wonderful chefs
in the state could share their knowledge
and bond,” he says. “We included others
in the foodservice industry, such as bar
managers and dining-room managers, and
we held continuing-education seminars.
We met at a different property each
month, and each property tried to outdo
the others. They were great meetings.”
But these days, Learned, who lives in
Andover, Maine, is firmly focused not
on the past but on the present and the
future. He is quick to list ACF’s strengths.
“ACF’s greatest contribution to the culinary
industry is continuing education and ACF
Culinary Team USA,” he says.
“Apprenticeship is most important to the
food industry, and in my view, produces
excellent chefs who never stop learning,”
Learned says. He notes many good
examples of the success of apprentice shop
It’s fortunate for those young people who
have gone through the apprenticeship
program that Learned made foodservice
his career, but he was not convinced from
the beginning that the culinary life was
one he should pursue. He spent six years
And in the future? His answer is simple,
and, given his life’s work, comes as no
surprise. “It should focus on apprenticeship
and young people,” Learned says. “Young
people can bring enthusiasm and a new
perspective to our industry.”
