“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”
— Virginia Woolf
Chef Christine Seitz
Culinary Consultant. Strategist. Innovator.
An experienced culinary leader with expertise in the food & beverages industry, I develop and lead groundbreaking global and national initiatives that boost consumer engagement and sales.
As VP of Culinary Innovation and Strategy at Compass Group, I sat at the intersection of the Compass Group Sector companies, developing national programs focused on plant-forward thinking and managing the adoption across each company.
From reducing food waste through Imperfectly Delicious Produce (IDP) to developing chef curriculum to improving nutrition literacy with your guests, I will design programs and training’s to meet your needs that are better for the planet and our well-being while driving results through sales and customer satisfaction.
My expertise
Vegetable-forward Cooking and Training
Project Management
Food Waste Management
Recipe, Menu, & Concept Development
Labor Productivity & Food Cost Controls
Food Safety
Purchasing and Inventory Controls
Select Career Achievements
Reducing food waste and supporting local farmers
After visiting with several farmers in CA in 2013, it was apparent the opportunity to rescue non ‘retail’ grade A fruits and vegetables from being left un-harvested in the fields and going to waste.
Out of these irregularly shaped but in perfect condition vegetables, the Imperfectly Delicious Produce (IDP) program was born. I led this initiative for the worlds largest contract food service company, Compass Group, including:
The strategic development of IDP quality standards and systems for growers and distributors
Collaboration with national growers in Salinas, California and local farmers nationwide to discover the produce that meets our IDP grading standards
Training and engagement with over 30 produce distributors on IDP quality standards
Engagement and education with culinary leaders, chefs, and procurement
Rescuing over 10 million pounds of produce (and more as the program continues)
Education and marketing for consumers that strategically positioned Compass Group at the forefront of environmental ethics
Designing on-trend solutions for the well-being of our guests and the environment
Developed and managed national programs adopted by Compass Group Sector companies, focused on plant-forward thinking and innovative concepts.
Established cafe promotions, concept brands, and engaging online educational programs enhancing guest experience with plant-forward foods and boosting revenue growth
Education of over 3000 chefs and managers inspired by CIA Menus of Change (MOC) goals
Collaborated with senior culinary leaders, plant-based suppliers, Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc (NRDC), CIA, and Humane Society United States (HSUS) to expand our reach, products, and training
Lead the culinary development and training for Teaching Kitchens in our cafes with over 200 active sites
Developed ‘tasty’ like VegRev videos for chef training and consumer engagement
Established trainer, motivator, & public speaker
From internal trainings and speaking events to industry presentations, I was focused on sharing knowledge of plant forward cooking techniques and food waste, and inspiring the industry with our successes.
Conducted live onsite training, webinars, and self-paced courses focused on developing and growing chefs and managers
Examples of courses include Chef Finance, Smart Menuing Strategies to Drive Profit, Plant-Forward Techniques and Menuing, Food Safety, and Teaching Kitchen
2000+ plus chefs, managers and registered dietitians trained annually
Acknowledged as featured speaker at Menus of Change (MOC), Culinary Institute of America (CIA) conferences, and Humane Society of the US (HSUS) events, and chef representative at CIA Healthy Menus Collaborative and Global Culinary Council with Google Food. Panelist at the Global Climate Action Summit and reThink Food Conference. Presented groundbreaking wellness concept at Compass global company event in Spain.
Event Planning
Planned and executed over 10 internal company events yearly, ranging from evening events to high profile global events.
Attendees included clients, sales presentations, evening conferences, CEO/CFO, culinary and marketing leaders
Events ranged from 25 to over 1000 attendees
Built a network of over 100 celebrity chefs including Food Network stars, StarChefs Rising Stars, local chefs and restaurateurs for onsite and event visits sharing their passion with our customers
International cafe opening in Japan
Just for fun
Entered into Guinness Book of World Records with
“World’s Largest Stir Fry”
Led the planning and execution with celebrity chef Jet Tila and a few friends
Charlotte Shout, 2004
Contact me.
christineseitz8@gmail.com
(925) 895-8359
Truckee, CA