Top Bermudian chef Fred Ming was inducted into the American Academy of Chefs' prestigious Honour Society recently in Las Vegas.

The ceremony took place at the MGM Hotel, the world's largest hotel with 3,000 rooms, and was held in conjunction with the American Culinary Federation's 72nd Chefs Convention which attracted some 2,500 chefs from around the world.

The induction of new members was in two stages. In the morning before the induction a sumptuous breakfast was served to some 400 members, partners and friends.

After breakfast, and the singing of the American National Anthem, the inductees were sworn in one by one by AAC national chairperson Fritz Sonnenschmidt and vice chair John Minniti.

Each inductee was given a booklet that contained the rules and regulations, plus membership and the Honour Society's mission statement. Each inductee also received a lapel pin, a gold medallion and a very large Honour Society certificate.

The second part of the induction was a banquet in the grand ballroom of the MGM, a black-tie affair attended by 800 people. The Governor of Nevada, Kenny Guinn, was also in attendance. He, along with the president of the United States, George Bush, wrote letters to the American Academy of Chefs commending them on their achievements and extending best wishes. The letters were put into the programmes so Chef Ming has a copy to cherish.

Chef Ming compared the elegant evening to being at the Emmy Awards, with all the glitter, flashing of cameras and sounding of the trumpets as each inductee's name was called. They had to march in and be presented to the guests in attendance. After the blessing of the food a sumptuous eight-course meal was served.

Mr. Ming explained that becoming a member of the Honour Society of the American Academy of Chefs is by invitation only and requires being a certified master chef, certified master pastry chef, executive certified chef, a certified culinary educator and of honourable character.

The candidates must also be in good standing as a member of the American Culinary Federation for not less than ten years and must have been in the culinary profession for not less than 15 years. Ten of those 15 years must be at the executive level and the candidate must also meet 15 requirements out of 20.

They include being a culinary educator, president of a culinary chapter, having served on various committees, having judged a culinary competition, conducted TV shows, performed voluntary work, community activities, assisted with apprenticeship programmes, performed cooking demonstrations, participated in the ACF Conventions, published articles, served on advisory boards and participated in culinary competitions, just to name a few.

The successful chef must also have two letters of reference from two American Academy of Chef members. Mr. Ming revealed that the president of the Culinary Institute Fernand Metz and vice president Timothy Ryan acted on his behalf. There are some 836 Academy of Chefs members and 37,000 registered chefs with the American Culinary Federation.

During the American Culinary Federation, from July 21-25, workshops and culinary demonstrations were held while there were also keynote speakers, fine food to savour and a market place that showcased everything a chef would require, from new-style uniforms, literature and samples of food and beverages.

"It was a memorable occasion which I shall never forget," said Mr. Ming.

He was accompanied by his wife Charlotte whom he says enjoyed the event just as much as he did.

Mr. Ming has recently been invited by the national chair of the American Academy of Chefs, Fritz Sonnenschmidt, to be the vice chair of the Caribbean region.