The Seattle Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier was chartered in 1989 and now consists of 60 members, including chefs, winemakers, food writers, cookbook authors, caterers, restaurateurs, chocolatiers, food photographers, bloggers and consultants.

If you ate it, drank it, or read it recently, chances are good that one of our members was involved.

Our mission is education, advocacy, and philanthropy. All our efforts are based in Washington State. Read on to learn more.

Scholarships and Mentoring

Through fundraising, we provide scholarships and mentorship for women in the food, beverage or hospitality industry, working in partnership with certificate and degree programs in the greater Seattle area and Washington State University. Since our inception, the Seattle chapter has awarded more than $650,000 in scholarship funds to more than 60 deserving students. Learn more.

Green Tables

We believe in the power of educating eaters of all ages where their food comes from and programs that allow greater access to fresh, healthy food. From school and community gardens – including a rooftop garden at Seattle Culinary Academy – to WSU’s Bread Lab project, we have provided more than $150,000 in funding for these kinds of sustainable agriculture projects. Learn more.

Community Outreach

Les Dames is proud to support programs that help people craft better futures for themselves. We are proud supporters of the food-training program FareStart, Project Feast, the Jubilee Women’s Center, Project Feast, Spice Bridge and others. We also helped provide funding for World Central Kitchen training at Seattle Culinary Academy. Learn more.