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Vermont Hospitality Council
The Vermont Hospitality Council, a division of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce - Lowers Tuition Rates for ServSafe Classes
Many of you know the Vermont Hospitality Council became the Vermont State Partner for the National Restaurant Association (NRA) in 2006, and as such offers ServSafe, NRA's nationally branded food safety training course and materials. We are pleased to announce lower tuition rates. As of November, 1 tuition rates will be: $125 per Vermont Chamber of Commerce member or $175 per non-member.
This is a $50 savings per person for VCC members, and a $30 savings for non-members. Additionally, if you are a VCC member establishment who sent staff to classes January – October 2007, you will receive an additional discount for sending staff to trainings in November 2007 – March 2008. This is our thanks to our member businesses that supported ServSafe through the Vermont Hospitality Council during our learning period. Contact Diane Konrady, 223-3443 x 126 to determine your final costs.
Why Attend or Send Staff to Attend Food Safety Training? According to the National Restaurant Association, an outbreak of food-borne illness can cost an operation over $75,000 in legal fees, medical claims, lost wages and sanitizing costs. A good way to avoid such problems is having a properly trained staff that has attended a National Restaurant Association ServSafe certification program. Vermont does not have mandated food safety training, but most states do. ServSafe certification is good for five years, so is also a great benefit for your employees. In today’s world food safety, and perceived food safety, are critical factors in operating successfully. ServSafe training is appropriate for managers, cooks, chefs, wait staff, supervisors, owners, event food service personnel, deli staff, nursing home employees, and anyone else who prepares or serves food to others. The ServSafe (manager certification) exam is widely accepted, reliable and a good way to ensure employees keep your business’s food handling practices top quality.
Our Instructor: ServSafe instructor Brian Norder is Project Director of the Vermont Food Venture Center in Fairfax, Product Development Specialist for the Northeast Center for Food Entrepreneurship at the University of Vermont, and works with a wide range of individuals starting or expanding food businesses. In addition, he draws upon 20 years of restaurant and resort management. He has a 90% plus student pass rate.
Our Class Format: Classes are one day, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a 45 minute lunch break, and including the examination. Individuals with a passing score on the exam receive a certificate from NRA Education Foundation, which is good for five years. Updated information is added to course content annually.
Free Resources from the National Restaurant Association: ServSafe Guides & Posters
Keep your employees educated and informed about best practices for food safety with these free posters that easily hang in even the smallest back rooms. A well-educated and qualified staff will keep consumers happy and healthy, as well as help protect your investment.Areas covered are: proper food handling and serving, proper food storing, cleaning and sanitizing, hand washing, calibrating a thermometer, internal cooking temperatures, food contaminants, proper sink cleaning, proper ways to cool food, how food becomes unsafe, and proper temperatures for holding food.
Please contact Samantha Kolber 802-262-2114 to request a free poster. 
Vermont Chamber's Hospitality Division off and running
Recently the Vermont Chamber finalized the creation of the Vermont Hospitality Council, a new division of the Vermont Chamber comprised of the Vermont Chamber's travel and tourism members, as well as members from the former Vermont Lodging and Restaurant Association (VLRA). The Vermont Chamber absorbed the assets of VLRA last year, and looks forward to continuing to serve VLRA members under the Vermont Hospitality Council of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce umbrella. The Vermont Hospitality Council is a registered tradename with the Secretary of State.
The newly developed mission of the mission of the Vermont Hospitality Council is to serve and to work in partnership with its diversity of members marketing travel to and within Vermont and advocating for hospitality-related legislative priorities. The Vermont Hospitality Council’s ultimate goal is to provide a memorable visitor experience, thereby stimulating the health of the tourism industry; to support jobs, and increase statewide tourism business profitability, resulting in the expansion of the overall Vermont economy.
The Vermont Hospitality Council Management Committee is under the leadership of Hans Van Wees, Trapp Family Lodge (Chair), and Dave Kaufman, Vermont Tourism Network (Vice Chair). A full list of the Vermont Hospitality Council Management Committee members is available.
Our momentum is growing. Here are some of our latest plans and accomplishments:
- A new and energized Management Committee to provide guidance to the Vermont Hospitality Council.
- We're hosting a networking and awards gala for everyone involved in Vermont's hospitality industry! The Vermont Hospitality Council of the Vermont Chamber is actively partnering with other organizations and Vermont events.
- We are the state partners of the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AH & LA) and the National Restaurant Association (NRA). Watch for more info from these organizations, and complimentary or low-cost opportunities to tie into all the benefits these groups offer, by virtue of your membership in the Vermont Hospitality Council of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce.
- Would you like to host a ServSafe class, arrange for your staff to attend a class, or buy the textbooks? As the state partner of the National Restaurant Association, we will continue to coordinate these classes on safe foods preparation and handling for all Vermont businesses engaged in food service. Potential facilities include, for example, restaurants, convenience stores/delis, nursing homes, disaster relief agencies, technical centers, and schools. Vermont Hospitality Council member save money off the registration fee!
- Partnering with the New England Culinary Institute and the Department of Education to offer a new plan for hospitality-industry workforce development.
- More frequent outreach to our members regarding media communications and press opportunities (we've had two media interviews in the last two weeks).
- Create greater value and benefit to the two associations managed by the Vermont Chamber, the Vermont Farms Association, and the Vermont Attractions Association, by incorporating their members more fully under the Hospitality Council umbrella.
- An effort to reinvigorate the Vermont Chamber's representation of country inns and B & Bs.
- We are developing a new website solely devoted to luring visitors to Vermont, specifically, to the beds, tables, and doors of Vermont Hospitality Council members.
- Creative and interesting guidebook articles and graphics that capture the flavor of Vermont, capitalize on the latest tourism trends, and stimulate tourism to our state.
Your Vermont Hospitality Council division staff includes:
Vicky Tebbetts, Vice President - 802-229-2259 or e-mail:vtebbetts@vtchamber.com.
Tjark Aldeborgh, Director of Communications - 802-229-2273 or e-mail:tjarka@vtchamber.com.
Karen Foote, Publications Assistant and Coordinator of the Vermont Attractions Association - 802-223-3443 or e-mail:kfoote@vtchamber.com.
Diane Konrady, Executive Assistant and Coordinator of the Vermont Farms Association - 802-223-3443 or e-mail:dkonrady@vtchamber.com.
Chris Sluicer, Director of Advertising Sales - 802-229-2294, 802-324-0983 or e-mail:csluicer@vtchamber.com.
Donna Hill, Publication Assistant - 802-233-3443 or e-mail:dhill@vtchamber.com.
Ray McKenzie, Hospitality Membership Development - 802-363-0992 or e-mail:rmckenzie@vtchamber.com.
VHC Signs Agreements with National Partners
The Vermont Hospitality Council is a division of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce and is now the largest hospitality organization in Vermont serving all businesses in and related to the hospitality industry. Since our formation, we have signed agreements with the American Hotel & Lodging Association and the National Restaurant Association to be their Vermont partners. Our members will receive great value for their investment as they can now take advantage of the benefits offered through these associations and those provided by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce.
Each restaurant that is a Vermont Chamber member will automatically become a member of the National Restaurant Association. Hotels will be able to join the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) which will enroll them into the Vermont Hospitality Council. There is an additional fee to join AH&LA.
The Vermont Hospitality Council also includes those Vermont Chamber members involved with Vermont Attractions and Vermont Farms Association.
http://www.restaurant.org/ - National Restaurant Association
http://www.ahla.com/ - American Hotel and Lodging Association
Borden E. Avery Innkeeper of the Year
Bill Bauer, Summit Lodge in Killington
Bill Bauer has been a fixture in the Killington community since he came to Summit Lodge in 1977 as a dishwasher, unaware that he would one day be a visionary for one of Vermont's most lauded hospitality destinations. Bill reveals that one of the key factors to creating such an idyllic Vermont travel experience is the low turnover of staff. Simply put, the staff of Summit Lodge refers to themselves as the "Summit Family. Guests appreciate seeing the same welcoming, familiar faces, including Bill's two Saint Bernards, when they come to the Summit. The quality of experience that Bill and the Summit Family provide for their guests is evidenced by the fact that 80% of his business is repeat business. Bill has seen third generation guests, which is further demonstrative of the consistency of experience that Bill has worked to cultivate. Part of Bill's success can be attributed to the fact that he has worn many hats throughout his time with the Summit . Two years after his arrival at the Summit , he attended the Culinary Institute of America, which helped him cultivate skills that were necessary to manage the popular restaurant. With the genesis of the Gristmill Restaurant in 1986, Bill moved into Summit Lodge to become innkeeper, which Bill explains meant doing "everything." Bill's community-oriented mindset is apparent in his other pursuits which include starting Green Mountain National Golf Course and serving on the select board for 9 years.
Restaurateur of the Year
Deirde Heekin and Caleb Barbar of Pane e Salute, Woodstock
Formally trained as modern dancers, Caleb Barber and Deirdre Heekin have fused their extensive creative backgrounds with strategic vision, resulting in one of the most outstanding dining experiences in Vermont. Summoning inspiration from their extensive travels throughout Europe, particularly Italy, Caleb and Deirdre have received accolades from prestigious publications such as Bon Appetit, The Boston Globe, Boston Common, Food and Wine, and Travel and Leisure. Caleb's path to culinary acclaim started in a small trattoria in Tuscany, where he apprenticed with an artisinal baker. Deirdre is renowned for her palate of uncommon wines and is noted by The Boston Globe for "knowing each wine intimately, and being able to discuss it as though it were an old friend." Co-authors of Pane e Salute: Food and Love in and Vermont, Caleb and Deirdre delight in their yearly trip to Italy for what they call "taste, research, and inspiration." Striving for an authentic Italian experience, the 22-seat, classic Italian tavern lends itself to an intimate setting. The Pane e Salute experience is masterfully executed, creating a dining experience that embodies the Restaurateur of the Year concept.
Bed & Breakfast of the Year
Liz and Jerry LaValley of Reluctant Panther Inn, Manchester
Stranded in Tokyo on business with his wife and six children in Texas on September 11, 2001, Jerry LaValley was compelled to reevaluate his path in life. Jerry, his wife Liz and their six children subsequently decided to pursue ownership of a small, New England bed and breakfast and became the fourth family to own and operate The Reluctant Panther, in Manchester . The Reluctant Panther was ideal for the LaValley family because they were searching for a Bed and Breakfast that was "part of a bigger picture and community," as Jerry says. Thirty days after purchasing the historic mansion that was converted to a bed and breakfast almost a half-century ago, a dryer caught fire, resulting in the beautiful, historic building burning to the ground in less than an hour. Although this terrible turn of events was devastating, the LaValleys were determined to persevere and enlisted local architect Ramsay Gould to conceptualize the new Reluctant Panther. With Jerry and Liz overseeing each detail of the process, an absolutely stunning new Bed and Breakfast stood by November of 2006. Jerry and Liz marvel at how rewarding it has been to provide a series of individually-designed luxury suites as well as truly exquisite dining for their guests. The family has derived great enjoyment from the people-centered nature of the hospitality industry and is known for their hands-on, involved management style.
Allied Member of the Year
The Paquette Family of Shadow Cross Farm, Colchester
Dick Paquette and his wife Pauline have not only managed to sustain one of the most successful farms in Vermont , but they have done so by integrating simple, family-oriented values into their operation. Dick explains that farming is a "good way of life," because it enabled him to be home every night with his four children. Dick and Pauline are approaching their 50 wedding anniversary, which Dick explains is "just like farming in that you have to work at it every day." Shadow Cross Farm has notoriously produced "good eggs to deal with" since the inception of the family business in 1940. Presently, Dick and his business partner son Rich oversee the distribution of their Grade A farm fresh eggs to hundreds of customers across the northeast part of the state, including grocery stores and restaurants. Culinary professionals will attest to the fact that the quality of the food they prepare is contingent on the quality of the ingredients they use. Shadow Cross Farm has provided a critical ingredient to the success of some of the most outstanding dining venues across Vermont . Dick has made great contributions to the agricultural community of Vermont by serving as President of the Poultry Association as well as playing a pivotal role in developing the Vermont Seal of Quality, which ensures that Vermont products exceed the standards set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dick and Pauline's ethos is simple and straight forward: fuse common sense with solid personal values to yield a great product and a consistently superior customer experience.
Chef of the Year
Michael Kloeti, Michael's on the Hill, Waterbury Center/Stowe
Michael Kloeti's path to an esteemed career in the culinary arts has been peppered with unique formative opportunities, including an apprenticeship in his native Switzerland and employment as Chef de Partie in New York City 4-star Lespinasse Restaurant. Kitchens of one-of-a-kind destinations such as the Lodge at Koele Resort in Lanai, Hawaii and the St. Regis Hotel in Manhattan have beckoned Michael's outstanding culinary finesse. Michael's passions extend beyond the confines of the kitchen, as he seeks to educate others on the importance of sustainable agriculture through hosting farm dinners, nature walks and cooking classes. Michael's commitment to raising consciousness regarding food's origins from farm to table embodies the essence of the prestigious Chef of the Year award. Yet another outreach project that Michael has pursued is a television show called "Michael goes Local," which is intended to connect the viewer with the community of people who passionately nurture and grow our food products. Each show culminates in an educational cooking segment featuring the bounty collected from his local travels. Michael's masterful synthesis of local products with innovative European cuisine has made Michael's on the Hill, which he operates with his wife Laura, a unique culinary destination in Vermont.
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