Two Female Icons of the Food World to Receive Grande Dame Award from Les Dames d'Escoffier International

LOUISVILLE, KY., June 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Paula Lambert, founder of the Mozzarella Company in Dallas, Texas, and Bev Shaffer, a Cleveland-based chef, recipe developer, author and culinary instructor, will be recognized with the Grande Dame Lifetime Achievement Award by Les Dames d'Escoffier International (LDEI).

The Grande Dame award recognizes extraordinary lifetime contributions within the food, beverage and hospitality industries. Every other year, recipients are determined by nominations and votes from LDEI's 2,400 members in 43 chapters around the world.

"LDEI's Grande Dame Award is one of the highest honors for a woman in food, beverage and hospitality," said LDEI President Deborah Mintcheff. "We are extremely proud to celebrate these two successful, inspirational women with the 2022 Grande Dame Award. Their accomplishments are nothing short of phenomenal."

Paula Lambert (Dallas Chapter) founded the Mozzarella Company in Dallas, Texas in 1982. She is an internationally renowned, award-winning artisanal cheesemaker, teacher, philanthropist and cookbook author. Among her many honors, Lambert was named one of the Top 50 Cheesemakers in America in 2021 by "Food & Wine" magazine, and is included in the James Beard Foundation's "Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America." Lambert is a sought-after cheese expert and speaker, having been featured on Food Network and multiple other media outlets. She is the author of two books on cheese: "The Cheese Lover's Cookbook and Guide" and "Cheese, Glorious Cheese."

Bev Shaffer (Cleveland Chapter) is a chef, instructor, recipe developer, author and entrepreneur. She opened "What's Cooking?," a kitchen store, cooking school and catering company in Cleveland in 1984. Subsequently, Shaffer led the Cooking School and Market Kitchen and Bakery at the Mustard Seed Market & Café, Ohio's largest retailer of natural and organic products. There, she authored the first of six cookbooks under her name. With her weekly food columns in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Bev brought her expertise and inspiration to home cooks throughout the region. Bev also served as Corporate Chef and Manager of Recipe Development at Vitamix World Headquarters from 2011 – 2016. Bev also is known for her tireless support to find a cure for Alzheimer's Disease, to which her husband succumbed in 2021.

Both women will be honored on Oct. 22 at the LDEI Annual Conference in New York City.

Les Dames d'Escoffier International (LDEI) is an international organization of women leaders who create a supportive culture in their communities to achieve excellence in the fields of food, beverage and hospitality. The organization's 2,400 members in 43 chapters in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom and France provide leadership, educational opportunities and philanthropy. LDEI chapters raised and donated more than $525,000 to community non-profits and philanthropic organizations in 2021. For more information, visit www.ldei.org and follow LDEI on Instagram and Twitter @lesdamesintl and Facebook Les Dames d'Escoffier Int'l.

SOURCE Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI)