Michel Escoffier, great-grandson of legendary French chef Auguste Escoffier, personally presided over the induction of five Vancouver-based culinary and hospitality leaders into Les Disciples Escoffier International on Sept. 18. The invitation-only ceremony was held at Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts (PICAchef) on Granville Island — a school that joined the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts network earlier this year — marking a significant moment for both the city's culinary community and the broader hospitality education sector.
The Five Inductees
Yves Potvin, Sylvia Potvin, Katsuhito Inoue, Alex Chen, and Ben Kiely were each honored with a colored sash denoting their professional field: red for working chefs, blue for non-culinary food and media professionals, purple for sommeliers and hospitality professionals, and green for food and wine producers. The inductees represent a cross-section of Vancouver's foodservice and hospitality landscape. Yves Potvin, a classically trained French chef turned entrepreneur, founded Yves Veggie Cuisine and created the Gardein™ brand before launching Konscious Foods; he was previously co-owner of PICAchef. Sylvia Potvin, also a former PICAchef co-owner and president, helped bring the MICHELIN Guide to Vancouver in partnership with Destination Vancouver. Chef Alex Chen led Team Canada to a top-10 finish at the 2013 Bocuse d'Or and has since opened Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar and, in 2022, Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar in Whistler, earning a place on North America's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2026. Katsuhito Inoue has taught at PICAchef since 2003, amassing 23 years of culinary instruction, while Chef Ben Kiely — trained in Michelin-starred European kitchens including Mirabelle Mayfair under Marco Pierre White — serves as Senior Education Administrator and Lead Chef Instructor at the school.
Legacy and Industry Relevance
Founded in 1954, Les Disciples Escoffier International now counts roughly 10,000 members, including 7,000 chefs, across 45 delegations worldwide. Membership is strictly by invitation, and only a small number of professionals are admitted in any given year, making each cohort a meaningful signal of professional standing in the global hospitality industry. The society was established to carry forward Auguste Escoffier's principles — discipline, generosity, and the mentorship of emerging culinary talent — values that remain deeply embedded in culinary education today.
"Les Disciples Escoffier is one of the most exclusive honors in our profession, and only a handful of professionals are invited to join in any given year," said Michel Escoffier, president of the Auguste Escoffier Foundation and Museum and advisory board member of Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. "Each of them carries forward the same discipline, generosity and dedication to mentorship that my great-grandfather valued above all else."
Kirk T. Bachmann, Boulder campus president and provost of Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, co-hosted the evening alongside Diego Do Livramento, PICAchef's general manager. The ceremony's menu was prepared by Chef Lian and Chef Nathan, with desserts by Chef Gary, and five PICAchef student volunteers assisted throughout the event — a fitting touch for a society centered on nurturing the next generation of culinary professionals.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
