If quality ingredients are the building blocks of fine cuisine, then a well-designed dish requires an architect of the palate. DNC Parks & Resorts is fortunate to have secured the services of Master Chef Roland G. Henin as our destination management company’s corporate executive chef.
In the last 22 years, Roland Henin's dual career as practitioner and teacher of the culinary arts has won him numerous accolades and certifications in his field, including the first National Chef Professionalism Award from the American Culinary Federation (ACF)® and appointment as the National Certification Committee Chair at the ACF’s Education Institute. Chef Henin is one of approximately 55 international Master Chefs certified by the ACF.
Chef Henin provides consultation and direction for all DNC Parks & Resorts foodservice operations, from fine dining menus to concession selections. The value of his extensive experience - which ranges from serving as chef des cuisines at the five-star Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, to coaching the 1992 gold medal U.S. Olympic culinary team - to our foodservice capabilities is immeasurable. Chef Henin's mentoring abilities have guided students like Napa Valley chef Thomas Keller, author of the best-seller, "The French Laundry Cookbook". Since joining DNC Parks & Resorts in 1997, Chef Henin has developed a professional culinary certification process for cooks and chefs which includes courses in sanitation, nutrition, and supervisory development.
Chef Henin was profiled in the January 27, 2003 issue of National Restaurant News®. In the interview, he commented, "One of the first things I'm often asked is why a certified master chef - and a French one, at that - would work for a contractor. I think it testifies to the importance Delaware North places on food as part of the guest experience."
Chef Henin's precepts and principles are the basis of the DNC Parks & Resorts approach to foodservice: Exceed the customer’s (ever-higher) expectations, reflect the location in the menu design, shop locally for freshness and regional flavor, and share your expertise with your students.
In addition to developing and testing recipes for all DNC Parks & Resorts locations, Chef Henin takes an active role in foodservice training. In addition to nurturing the skills of DNC Parks & Resorts ’s chefs, he personally teaches a kitchen sanitation course called Serv-Safe at every location he visits.
The Culinary Department of The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel, under the direction of Chef Steven Learned, offers a 3 year Culinary Apprenticeship Program organized as a (501(c)(3) not for profit corporation). This program is certified by the American Culinary Federation (ACF)®, America's largest professional chefs' organization and by the US Department of Labor. The apprenticeship program also coordinates classes with New Hampshire Technical College. Graduating apprentices receive certification by the ACF and they earn an Associate Degree. The program includes 6 externships which provide the apprentices with the opportunity to travel and work under other talented chefs from California to the Virgin Islands.
THREE YEAR-6,000 HOUR PROGRAM:
This program includes supervised hands-on experience at The Balsams from May to October, and from December to March for a three year period. An Associate Degree is offered through the New Hampshire Community Technical College/Berlin. Many of the college courses are taught here at the Hotel. Students will rotate from station to station achieving knowledge of all areas of the kitchen, working side by side with The Balsams journeyman cooks and chefs. It is mandatory for students to attend all lectures, demonstrations, visiting chef presentations, and competitions as part of their apprenticeship program.
ASSOCIATE DEGREE:
This degree is offered by New Hampshire Community Technical College/Berlin in the culinary arts field. It complements hands-on experience and provides an additional tool to market the students upon completion of the program.
