THE ANC HISTORY
The Académie Nationale de Cuisine is a home to everyone in the gastronomy professions – chefs, service people, winemakers, sommeliers, crafts people and many more – in all regions of France and increasingly internationally.
HISTORY
CREATED IN 1977 TO SUPPORT YOUNG PEOPLE!
ANC founders were Dominique Weber † (restaurateur in Draguignan), Jacques Charrette † (Director of the Centre d'Étude de Pâtisserie of the Excel Lesieur Group in Nanterre), Gui Gedda (restaurant La Terrasse in Bormes-les-Mimosas, Chef-owner Jean Gedda),
Alain Sebban (Institut Vatel Lyon-Paris), Vincent Weber (Pastry chef, Cape Verde Islands)
ANC treasures the richness of know-how in all professions related and important to gastronomy. ANC sees one of it’s main roles in supporting young people, sharing the expertise of the experienced members.
In January 2025 the Académie Nationale de Cuisine started the new chapter in its history under the Presidency of Éric Vandevelde.
It has also forged its identity in the implementation of several events that punctuate the news of the food industry and interventions at numerous culinary events...
The first Board of Directors was made up of Dominique Weber (President), Vincent Weber, Alain Sebban, Gui Gedda, Jacques Charrette, Paul Bellino, Michel Bezout, Marius Buffat, Michel Milinaire, Paul de Montaignac de Bressoles and Jean-Paul Pierrot.
NATIONAL GRAND PRIX FOR RECIPES
CHRONICS OF COMPETITIONS
1978 AND AFTERWARDS...
In 1978 the first National Grand Prix for Regional Recipes is created. Gui Gedda was the first winner of the inaugural competition, the first of a long series that revealed many talents in the kitchen. The competitions grew steadily, the following year, 123 competitors from all regions of France took part.
In 1980, the Grand Prix de Littérature Culinaire was created.
In 1982, during the General Assembly in Villars-les-Dombes, President Dominique Weber give up her presidency for health reasons. Jacques Charrette, elected by a majority, took over to name Dominique Weber Honorary President.
In 1984, the Conservatoire National de Cuisine was created on the initiative of the Académie Nationale de Cuisine, Dominique Weber and Jacques Charrette. Every author got a chance to deposit new culinary recipes. A true bank of knowledge in gastronomy, it became the reference in terms of innovations with the release of the Official Book of Recipes.
In 1985, the Toque d'Or Cuisine and Toque d'Or Pâtisserie competitions were created.
In 1990, the Raymond Vaudard Avenir Trophy was created
Photo: Jean-Marc Mompach and Gérard Fouché, first winners of the Toque d'Or in 1985.
VALUES
SHARING, TRANSMITTING...
The ANC's statutes are updated in 1998, 2007, 2011, 2021 and 2025.
Former Presidents:
Dominique Weber from 1977 to 1982,
Jacques Charrette from 1982 to 1984,
Alain Sebban from 1984 to 1990,
Jacques Charrette from 1990 to 2010,
Lucien Veillet from 2010 to 2018,
Jean-Marc Mompach from 2018 to 2025 and
Éric Vandevelde is the current President elected in January 2025.
Académie Nationale de Cuisine is a unique professional association. Its aspirations are above corporatism, elitism and other trade unionism.
It unites professionalism, awareness of the quality of every profession related to gastronomy, quality of the products and allows the networking of experienced professionals and young people having their whole career ahead of them.
Photo: Dominique Weber in Fréjus in 1990 with Jacques Charrette and Minister François Léotard as attentive spectators.
UNIQUE PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION
pour tout
savoir
LEARN MORE
TOQUE D'OR magazine
The first issue of Toques d’Or, an official magazine of the Académie Nationale de Cusine, was published in 1994. The Magazine quickly became an essential tool to distribute knowledge, to present the events and news of the Academy and to share the news of our Partners and members. With increasing responsibility for the future and with the ideas of sustainability, from now on the magazine is distributed diginally only. If you would like to receive it, please contact us.
DUTY OF REMEMBRANCE
THE FOUNDING MEMBERS' MEDAL
In order to be able to honor certain people on various occasions on behalf of the ANC and to differentiate them from the active members and their tricolor ribbon established by Dominique Weber, it was decided at the initiative of Jean-Marc Mompach and after presentation to the Board of Directors on June 23, 2020, to create a medal, in honor of the five founding members of the association in 1977: Dominique Weber, Jacques Charrette, Alain Sebban, Gui Gedda and Vincent Weber, as a duty to remember. A medal issued in a box, without ribbon, with on one side the five portraits and on the other the use of the academy's logotype associated with numerous pictograms representing the food trades and finally the richness of our large family of members.
This medal exists in two formats, the large one (80 mm) is reserved for particular and very honorary distinctions. The first copy was delivered to our late Jacques Charrette. It was a moment of great emotion that he did not hide and that we will not forget.
The small format (60 mm) is available in three colours (gold, silver and bronze) also presented in a box and reserved for competitions and other events.
These medals were developed by our communication department and made in France, they are made of solid bronze with several patinas.
WHY NOT YOU?
JOIN !
Would you like to know more about the Académie Nationale de Cuisine and why not become an active member?
