About Les Dames d'Escoffier International

In 1936, a group of epicures (many of them former pupils of the great Auguste Escoffier, “chef of kings and king of chefs”), gathered at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City to form the Les Amis d’Escoffier Society, a men-only organization comprised of dedicated gastronomes. Nearly four decades later, a woman by the name of Carol Brock (then, the Sunday food editor at the New York Daily News) set about to create its women-only counterpart. Undeterred by the fact that the food, wine, and hospitality industries were largely dominated by men, she gathered 50 prominent women to form Les Dames d’Escoffier New York in 1976. Nine years later, in 1985, the presidents of the five Les Dames chapters (New York, DC, Chicago, Dallas, and Philadelphia) met in New York to officially form Les Dames d’Escoffier International. 

Today, LDEI is the preeminent global professional association for women shaping the culinary and hospitality industries. Our diverse membership represents 3,000 of the most influential voices across contemporary gastronomy, from chefs to restaurateurs to authors to executives. Our 40 chapters are united not only by professional excellence, but by a shared passion for philanthropy and education within the global food ecosystem. Through flagship initiatives including the Legacy Awards, the Relief Fund, and YETI’s Woman of Purpose, we strengthen our member base and the extraordinary communities we serve.

Guiding Principles