Pierre Chambrin
Encyclopedia
Pierre Chambrin was the White House Executive Chef
from 1992 to 1994.
on Sept. 13, 1947. He received his culinary education at the Ecole des Metiers de l"alimentation, which he attended from 1961 to 1963. He moved to the United States in 1969 and opened a restaurant in Massachusetts
. Before his appointment to the White House, he was the head chef at the Washington, D.C.
restaurant Maison Blanche.
to succeed Hans Raffert. Under the Clinton administration, a group of prominent American chefs, led by Alice Waters
, sent a letter to the White House urging an appointment of a chef who would "promote American cooking," although Chambrin stated that he was already using American ingredients and that his first concern was food quality. Ruth Reichl
defended the chef in an article in the Los Angeles Times
, calling him "enthusiastic about just about everything organic, and so excited by the idea of seasonality," and pointing out that it was not the norm for new administrations to appoint a new chef. In March 1994, however, Chambrin resigned after a push from the administration to impose newer health standards, specifically using food with less fat, a standard that Chambrin was unwilling to conform to. It was widely reported that he was asked to resign, although he says that this is not the case and it was his own decision. Chambrin's staff of three chefs left the White House with him. He would be succeeded by Walter Scheib
.
. The Maitres Cuisiniers de France named him "Chef of the Year" in 2008.
White House Executive Chef
The White House Executive Chef is responsible for the planning, managing and preparing of all menus and meals for the First Family and their private entertaining, and official state functions at the White House, the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United...
from 1992 to 1994.
Early life and career
Chambrin was born in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
on Sept. 13, 1947. He received his culinary education at the Ecole des Metiers de l"alimentation, which he attended from 1961 to 1963. He moved to the United States in 1969 and opened a restaurant in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Before his appointment to the White House, he was the head chef at the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
restaurant Maison Blanche.
White House
Chambrin was appointed under the presidency of George H. W. BushGeorge H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
to succeed Hans Raffert. Under the Clinton administration, a group of prominent American chefs, led by Alice Waters
Alice Waters
Alice Louise Waters is an American chef, restaurateur, activist, and author. She is the owner of Chez Panisse, a Berkeley, California restaurant famous for its organic, locally-grown ingredients and for pioneering California cuisine.Waters opened the restaurant in 1971. It has consistently ranked...
, sent a letter to the White House urging an appointment of a chef who would "promote American cooking," although Chambrin stated that he was already using American ingredients and that his first concern was food quality. Ruth Reichl
Ruth Reichl
Ruth Reichl - pronounced RYE-chil - is an American food writer, co-producer of PBS's Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie, culinary editor for the Modern Library, host of PBS's Gourmet's Adventures With Ruth, and the last editor-in-chief of the now shuttered Gourmet magazine...
defended the chef in an article in the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, calling him "enthusiastic about just about everything organic, and so excited by the idea of seasonality," and pointing out that it was not the norm for new administrations to appoint a new chef. In March 1994, however, Chambrin resigned after a push from the administration to impose newer health standards, specifically using food with less fat, a standard that Chambrin was unwilling to conform to. It was widely reported that he was asked to resign, although he says that this is not the case and it was his own decision. Chambrin's staff of three chefs left the White House with him. He would be succeeded by Walter Scheib
Walter Scheib
Walter S. Scheib III was the White House executive chef from 1994 until 2005. Scheib is known for his creation of a distinctly American cuisine for the White House. He was responsible in this role for preparing everything from simple First Family dinners to very formal State Dinners...
.
Later career
Chambrin is currently the executive chef at the Saint Louis Club in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. The Maitres Cuisiniers de France named him "Chef of the Year" in 2008.