John Reed celebrates his 2010 Chef
Professionalism Award with wife
Rosemary and sons Robert, 13, and
Steven, 7.
It is his sincere belief that this impacts the
people he is working with, and, ultimately,
affects the dish being served.
continued from page 20
time. He is a member of ACF Windy City
Professional Culinarians Inc., and was
named the chapter’s Chef of the Year in
2007. He is also a member of the Research
Chefs Association and Foodservice
Consultants Society International. He
participates on several industry advisory
boards and in focus groups.
also a trained chef. His other passions
include charcuterie, gardening, golfing and
collecting cookbooks.
The same mental process goes into his
presentations, educational endeavors and
career guidance. He puts his preferences
and position aside, and works to understand
what it is that the person is really asking
from him and what he can do to fulfill his or
her needs. “In some cases, being truthful
may not be what they want to hear,” explains
Reed. “But if you are honest, sincere and
respectful, you have accomplished what is
expected of a professional.”
Through his consulting company,
Customized Culinary Solutions, Reed
works with restaurants and catering and
foodservice companies to provide the
highest-quality foodservice possible.
PROFESSIONAL TO THE CORE
“The concept of professionalism is very
simple to me,” Reed says. “It started when
I first put on a chef jacket nearly 28 years
ago. I understood then, as I understand
today, that the jacket is not about me—it
is about preserving and respecting our
predecessors and giving back to those
who have yet to put on the jacket.”
He is also a culinary educator, with five
years experience at Johnson & Wales
University, North Miami, Fla., and presently
an adjunct faculty member in the hospitality
department at the College of DuPage, Glen
Ellyn, Ill. Recently he spent time with the
U.S. Navy’s Adopt a Ship program, which
supports the education and professionalism
of the culinary arts while supporting U.S.
troops overseas. He was stationed onboard
the USS Stethem and the USS Fitzgerald
off the coast of Japan while they were in
active forward movement.
Even his culinary approach exudes
professionalism. He is guided by a
philosophy taken from a famous Japanese
saying: ichi-go ichi-e, literally, “one time,
one meeting,” often translated as “for this
time only,” “never again” or “one chance in
a lifetime.” Every time Reed cooks, speaks,
instructs or interacts in his work or at
home, he strives to complete the task at
hand better than one would expect, and
to give back as much as he can to make
every opportunity not only beneficial to
him, but to everyone involved.
Reed hopes to continue to develop
his company to provide resources for
other companies and to support his
family’s endeavors. In addition, he plans
to continue educating and giving back
to ACF. “We are forever in debt to our
predecessors to uphold the culinary
standards that they taught us,” he says.
“It is our job to pass that on to the next
generation of culinarians.”
Patti Curfman, CEC, CEPC, AAC, is
executive chef/owner of Patti Cakes,
Stayton, Ore., and a member of ACF Chefs
de Cuisine Society of Oregon.
Even though his working life occupies
much of his time, Reed is a devoted
family man with two young chefs-in-the-
making at home. His wife Rosemary is
For Reed, it is not just about cooking; he is
insistent about using the right technique and
being disciplined in the process. “It is all about
respecting the ingredients and maintaining a
good work environment, as well as knowing
how to interact with my colleagues,” he says.
