Membership: How to Join

ACADEMICIANS

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Applicants for membership should:

1. Be a minimum of 28 years old.
   
   
2. Have spent a minimum of 3 years in the same position as Head Chef, Head Pastry Chef, Restaurant Manager or Sommelier.
   
   
3. State in a letter accompanying their completed application form their reasons for wishing to join The Academy and what they are prepared to offer.
   
   
4. Cite 3 existing Academicians as referees, preferably with whom they have worked.
   
   
5. Submit with their application form a their curriculum vitae and photocopies of any relevant certificates and qualifications.
   
   
6. Upon acceptance, pay an entry fee of £130 and thereafter an annual subscription of £130 (plus VAT).
   
   

Subject to the above and meeting the criteria for membership of the Academy applicants will be invited to attend an interview with the Selection Committee. The Committee's decision is final and no further correspondence will be entered into.

RULES OF MEMBERSHIP

The priorities of the Academy of Culinary Arts are education and training, providing opportunities for young chefs, pastry chefs and waiters alongside raising standards and awareness of food, food provenance, cooking and service. Our aims and objectives are achieved through a number of initiatives including:

Chefs Adopt a School
The Chefs' Apprenticeship Programmes
The Annual Awards of Excellence
The Master of Culinary Arts
The Mutton Renaissance
FEAST (Food Education At School Today)

Fundraising and other activities are ongoing and change from time to time.

To enable the Academy to fulfil its objectives members must:

• Be prepared to devote some time to the activities of the Academy.
• Attend no less than 2 Plenary Meetings per year. Apologies must be made to the Academy office in writing or by telephone not less than 1 day before the appropriate meeting. Persistent failure to comply will be noted and reviewed annually by the Management Committee.
• Participate in Chefs Adopt a School.
• Be prepared to maintain, protect and further the evolution of the culinary arts and gastronomy in all its forms in the UK (Article 6, Section D of the Constitution*).
• Be prepared to follow the code of conduct that the Academy and its members represent.
• While under no obligation to purchase their goods or services, Academicians must be prepared to consider any reasonable request to receive an Associate member.
• Pay their annual subscription fee, as decided by the Management Committee, within the first month of each year.
• Must be present at an extraordinary general meeting to cast his or her vote.
• Must notify ipso facto any change of home or job address.

In the event of a member's name being removed from the Academy's register of members for any cause, said member must remove forthwith from public display any reference to the diploma granted him/her by the Academy and return it, together with his/her insignia and jacket (where applicable) to the General Secretary within 7 days of being requested to do so (Article 9, Section 2 of the Constitution*).

*Constitution available upon request DOWNLOAD APPLICATION FORM HERE

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ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP

The Academy of Culinary Arts was established in 1980, with just 15 Chef members, as the British branch of the Académie Culinaire de France. Since then the membership has grown to over 300 of the UK's leading senior Chefs, Pastry Chefs, Restaurant Managers and Sommeliers. The principal function of the Academy is to promote public awareness and appreciation of the highest standards of food, cooking and service, by example and education as well as encouraging young people into the industry through training.

• There are approximately 40 Associate Members of the Academy of Culinary Arts. These are carefully selected suppliers and producers of high quality food, wine and catering produts.
  
  
• There may be no more than 3 Associate Members of a particular type (e.g. butcher, fishmonger, grocer) except in exceptional circumstances.
  
  
• While no Academician is obliged to use the services of any Associate Member, we endeavour to ensure that they are kept up to date with news about the Associates and their products.
  
  
• Associate Members have the opportunity of taking a 5 minute slot at a Plenary Meeting to present their business and products.
  
  
• Associate Members have their own Steering Committee, under the Chairmanship of Ken Wilkins, which meets regularly to discuss the Associates' participation in the Academy, fundraising and other events to promote and extend its aims.
  
  
• Associate Members are included in all Academy events. In addition to this, there are periodic Associates' meetings and lunches to which members are encouraged to bring a guest.
  
  
• All Associate Members are listed in and receive a copy of the Academy's Directory of members.
  
  
• Associate Members are entitled to used the Academy of Culinary Arts' logo on company printed materials and websites, where appropriate and providing their annual subscription is fully up to date.
  
  

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Applicants for membership should:

• Complete the attached application form and return to the Academy of Culinary Arts with a covering letter stating their reasons for wishing to join.
  
  
• List on their application form the names and establishments of at least 3 Academicians who they supply, of these 1 should propose and 1 should second the application for membership.
  
  
• Upon acceptance pay the annual subscription fee of £1000 plus VAT, for the current year.
  
  

THE APPLICATION PROCESS

• Applications for Associate Membership are put to the Management Committee and existing Associate Members for approval.
  
  
• In the event of any objections being made to an application, the Senior Management of the Academy will discuss whether or not they are relevant.
  
  
• Competition with existing Associate Members is not deemed to be a relevant objection.
  
  
• Once a final decision has been reached no further correspondence will be entered into.
  
  

DOWNLOAD ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM HERE