The American Pistachio Growers have tapped the talents of two distinguished chefs to serve as Ambassadors to the food industry according to Judy Hirigoyen, director, global marketing. Together, Chef Grant MacPherson and Pastry Chef Jean-Yves Charon bring diverse culinary expertise and award winning experiences that span several continents.
Chef Grant MacPherson, a native of Scotland, is a celebrated executive chef who has been working on five continents for the past 30 years. During that time he has cooked for a multitude of celebrities in the world of business, entertainment and government and spearheaded food and beverage operations at prestigious hotels stretching from Malaysia to Las Vegas.
In 2011, Chef MacPherson penned his first cookbook, In the Viking Kitchen with Chef Grant MacPherson. Chef MacPherson soon will be releasing Word of Mouth, an autobiographical cookbook that follows his career using venues as chapters and includes tributes to people who helped shape his career.
Jean-Yves Charon, a renowned pastry chef and native of France, is co-founder and pastry chef for Galaxy Desserts. He has more than 25 years of experience in developing and manufacturing innovative desserts and pastries in the classic French tradition.
Chef Charon’s creations have earned top honors in well-known culinary organizations, most notably the National Association for Specialty Food Trade (NASFT), where he earned the Outstanding Dessert in the U.S. Award. His creations have been featured five times on Oprah’s Favorite Things and on Oprah’s Favorite Breakfast.
As chef ambassadors, Charon and MacPherson will impart knowledge and culinary skills that enhance and expand American pistachios usage in menu and bakery applications. They will participate in educational programs and culinary meetings and serve as spokespersons to encourage greater use of American pistachios. They also will assist American Pistachio Growers with new product development.
“We are so fortunate and excited to bring the expertise and enthusiasm of these two respected chefs to our industry,” Hirigoyen says. “They will help build a stronger link between culinary professionals, our growers, and processors.”
