Les Dames d'Escoffier Intl

✨ Meet the 2026 LDEI Legacy Award Winners Six extraordinary women. Six transformative experiences. One shared belief: when women are supported, the entire food world moves forward. Congratulations to the recipients of the 2026 Les Dames d’Escoffier International Legacy Awards, presented in partnership with The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts. From regenerative farming and artisan distilling to heritage baking, hospitality leadership, food science and sustainable food systems, these women are shaping the future of food, beverage and hospitality in powerful and inspiring ways. 👏 Amanda Severson 👏 Melinda Carbajal 👏 Hailey Zhou 👏 Andrea Fujarczuk 👏 Sasha Chetyrkina-Miller 👏 Carla Briggs Since 2009, the LDEI Legacy Awards have created career-changing opportunities through immersive mentorship and hands-on experiences led by Les Dames members across North America and beyond. As Marilyn Freundlich, President of LDEI, shared: “Women who are building something meaningful and doing it on their own terms.” We cannot wait to see where these journeys lead next. 💙 #LDEI #LegacyAwards #WomenInFood #WomenInHospitality #Womeninbusiness

Still thinking about last month's Annual Power of Connections Conference in Las Vegas! @lesdamesintl ✨ Members of our PBP team had the opportunity to attend a weekend filled with powerful conversations, inspirational speakers, wonderful panelists, and more, all celebrating the connection and community that defines Les Dames d'Escoffier International. Beyond just attending, our team is proud to support LDEI through fundraising and sponsorship strategy. With more than 1,800 members across 30+ chapters worldwide, LDEI continues to create space for women leaders in food, beverage, and hospitality to support one another, lead with purpose, and uplift the next generation. A special highlight was seeing one of our own participate in a panel discussion focused on fundraising, sharing their perspective and expertise with the room! It was a meaningful moment for our team and a thoughtful addition to a conference centered on connection, conversation, and community. Here's to the power of showing up, connecting, and celebrating women who lead. 🥂 #LDEI #LesDamesdEscoffier #PowerofConnection #womenleadership #PoweredByProfessionals

Happy Mother’s Day to the women who feed us in every sense of the word — with love, comfort, wisdom, resilience and unforgettable meals. Today we celebrate the mothers, grandmothers, chosen family, mentors and nurturers who gather us around tables and remind us that food is never just food — it’s care, connection and love made visible. Here’s to the women who nourish generations. 💙 #MothersDay #LesDamesdEscoffier #WomenInFood #FoodAndCommunity

The restaurant industry is shifting fast — and women leaders are navigating the challenges with resilience, creativity, and grit. Join us for Part 1 of our new State of the Restaurant Industry series as three powerhouse Dames share what’s really happening on the ground right now. From rising costs and staffing pressures to changing customer habits and new opportunities, this is an honest, solutions-focused conversation from women leading restaurants every single day. ✨ Featuring: 🍴 Barbara Sibley (@barbaragsibley ) – Founder, La Palapa Cocina Mexicana 🍴 Emily Shaya (@nolabeanqueen ) – Co-Founder, Pomegranate Hospitality 🍴 Micheline Mendelsohn (@michymendelsohn ) – Deputy CEO & multi-brand hospitality leader 📍 Tuesday, May 19 🕛 12–1 p.m. ET 💻 Via Zoom Practical insights. Real experiences. Big-picture thinking from women shaping the future of hospitality. Our Live Online series is brought to you in proud sponsorship with @chef_works #LDEI #WomenInHospitality #RestaurantIndustry #WomenRestaurateurs #HospitalityLeadership

It started with a table. And a belief that women could do more - together. 50 years ago, our New York Chapter lit the spark that became Les Dames d’Escoffier International. Five decades on, that spark is a global force - backing women, opening doors, and reshaping the future of food, drink and hospitality. This isn’t just a milestone. It’s a movement in motion. We honour the women who built it. We celebrate the impact it continues to have - on careers, communities and confidence. And we commit - clearly and loudly - to what comes next. More women supported. More voices heard. More change driven. Here’s to the chapter that started it all - and to the next 50 years of going further, faster, together. 🥂 Credits Producer & Director: Silvia Baldini Film, Photography & Editor: Briana Balducci Location: Studio Bocce Featuring Dames: Lidia Bastianich Karen Goodlad Francesca Zani Barbara Sibley May Matta-Aliah Michelle Lawton #LesDames #LDEI #WomenElevatingWomen #50YearsStrong #FoodLeadership NYChapter

✨ What happens when chapters share what’s working? Inspiration, ideas, and impact. Join us for a special LDEI Live Online: Inside LDEI’s Chapter Awards: Shared Success, Ideas & Impacts 📅 May 5, 2026 ⏰ 12–1 p.m. Eastern Time 💻 Via Zoom Celebrate our inaugural Chapter Awards and hear directly from the winning chapters whose creativity, fundraising success, mentorship, and community leadership are making a real difference. 🏆 Featuring: ✨ Greater Des Moines – Philanthropic Powerhouse ✨ Birmingham – Showstopper Award ✨ Kansas City – Cultivating Impactful Change ✨ St. Louis – Power of Connection Award From scholarships and service to standout fundraising and member engagement, this interactive Q&A is packed with practical takeaways and fresh ideas you can bring back to your own chapter. At Conference, chapter success stories were shared. Now the conversation continues online. 🎤 Moderated by Dame Liz Barrett (Chicago) ✨ We’re also thrilled that our LDEI Live Online series is now supported by @chef_works 🔗 Register now via Members Center / link in bio #LDEI #LesDames #WomenInFood #Leadership #Mentorship

A week on, the words of Elizabeth Blau are still resonating. As our keynote speaker at Conference, Elizabeth brought the vision, honesty, and leadership that have defined an extraordinary career — and helped transform Las Vegas into one of the world’s great dining destinations. Challenging the assumption that visitors only wanted fast, cheap food, she helped spark the chef-led restaurant revolution that changed the city forever. She also left us with a statistic that hung powerfully in the room: 50% of culinary graduates are women, yet only 7% reach executive chef level. The question of why was very much the point. Elizabeth challenged us to rethink mentorship too — reminding us that you can mentor someone you’ve never met simply by being visible, leading by example, and showing what’s possible. It’s a belief she has turned into action through the Women’s Hospitality Initiative, helping build the next generation of women leaders. Thoughtful, trailblazing, and deeply inspiring, Elizabeth reminded us that real progress begins when someone is bold enough to challenge the status quo. Thank you, Elizabeth, for setting the tone for an unforgettable Conference. ✨ #LDEIConference #LesDames #ElizabethBlau #WomenInHospitality #Leadership

Was this your first time? 😉 We’re super delighted that 30% of attendees at this year’s Conference joined us for the very first time — a powerful sign of fresh energy, new ideas, and the bright future of Les Dames. Were you one of them? Tag yourself below 👇 and tell us: what did you love, learn, or take away most? From new friendships to bold conversations, first-timers helped make this year’s gathering something special. Here’s to the next generation of Dames leading the way. 💫 #LesDames #LDEI #Conference2026 #womeninspiringwomen

Birmingham Dames presented, participated and showed up in big ways at the 2026 LDEI Annual Conference at The Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas. And we had a blast! Teamwork makes our dream work, and we even won the first @lesdamesintl Showstopper Award for our highly successful fundraisers Champagne & Fried Chicken and Sweet Treats! Here’s some of what we did and ate and saw and danced to. That Barbershop speakeasy was so much fun! It was wonderful to reconnect with sister Dames from around the world and spend quality time with them and the Birmingham Dames who attended the annual conference. I loved, loved the view from my hotel room at The Cosmopolitan!

Don’t miss out next week: LDEI Live Online heads to the world of culinary travel with Turning Culinary Passion into Food Tours on Monday, April 27, 2026, from 12–1 p.m. Eastern Time via Zoom. Whether you’re curious about launching your own culinary tour business, exploring new career possibilities, or simply fascinated by the fast-growing world of food travel, this practical panel will take you behind the scenes with Dames who are doing it for real. From building authentic itineraries and local partnerships to pricing, logistics, marketing, and common pitfalls, this conversation is packed with insight, inspiration, and real-world advice. Featuring Ghillie Başan, Claudia Royston, and Lisa Stavropoulos, and moderated by Julie Barreda Cavignac, this is a unique chance to hear from women creating immersive food and wine experiences around the world. Sign up now — and join us next week.

Celebrating the power of our Chapters 💫 At our Annual Conference 2026, Les Dames d’Escoffier International proudly announced the winners of our inaugural Chapter Awards — honouring the incredible collective impact of Dames creating change through food, beverage, hospitality, mentorship and philanthropy. 🏆 Philanthropic Powerhouse Award Greater Des Moines Chapter Recognised for exceptional community service, fundraising, volunteerism and a powerful new food security initiative. ✨ Showstopper Award Birmingham Chapter Honoured for their much-loved Champagne & Fried Chicken fundraiser — a creative event driving scholarships, grants and community partnerships. 🌱 Cultivating Impactful Change Award Kansas City Chapter Celebrated for an outstanding scholarship and mentorship programme helping women build careers across culinary, hospitality and entrepreneurship. 🤝 Power of Connection Award St. Louis Chapter Awarded for the highest percentage of members attending conference — a brilliant example of engagement, sisterhood and chapter spirit. Congratulations to all our winning chapters and every chapter making a difference in communities across our network. You are the heartbeat of Les Dames. 💙 📅 Want to hear directly from our winners? Join us for LDEI Live Online as they share the stories, ideas and impact behind their success. Watch this space for details 👀 And cheers to @titosvodka for sending prizes to our winners. 🍸🍸🍸 #LesDames #WomenInHospitality #WomenInFood #Leadership

This is what it’s all about: connection. 🩵 When we show up with purpose, curiosity, and courage, tiny sparks become movements. In Las Vegas at our annual convention we traded stories and ideas, lifted one another up, and forged friendships that will fuel positive change in Kansas City — and beyond. We’re energized, inspired, and ready to do even more. And, yes: we took home the Cultivating Impactful Change Award. ✨ Thank you to @lesdamesintl , our members, and the KC community for helping us support women in the hospitality, food, and fine beverage industries year after year. We’re so grateful! 🫶🔥🏆 #ldeikc #lesdames #womensupportingwomen #wegiveadame #womeninhospitality