John Reed is a professional chef with over 30 years’ experience. He is the owner of Customized Culinary Solutions, a culinary consulting firm located in the Chicago Northshore area. He works with restaurant, catering, and foodservice companies to provide the highest quality food possible. His contributions include menu and recipe development, emerging concept development, and transition management for companies introducing culinary and production software programs. His company specializes as an on-demand culinary department supporting out-sourced culinary project management.

An active member of the ACF, he has earned certifications as a Certified Executive Chef, Certified Culinary Administrator, and American Academy of Chefs. He recently received his Certified Cicerone® accreditation one of only 2100 such certifications globally; John won the ACF National Chef Professionalism Award in 2010. He has competed many times in culinary competitions around the country. As part of the ACF Team USA Regional Culinary Team he competed at the International Culinary Olympics in October 2012.  He also volunteered as an operations manager for the ACF US Culinary Olympic Team that represents the US in all major competitions and recognized in international culinary competitions. He was the WCPC Chef of the Year in 2007 and Member of the Year 2010.  He was just recently inducted into the Disciples d’ Escoffier International.

Presently he serves as Chairmen of the Board for the Chefs and Culinary Professionals of Chicagoland. He is also a member of the Research Chefs Association, Foodservice Consultants Society International and NACE. He also participates in Industry Advisory Boards and Focus Groups. 

John also has experience as a culinary educator at Johnson & Wales University in North Miami, Florida and College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. He also holds degree in Culinary Arts from Johnson and Wales University and a bachelor’s degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Travel Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

John has spent time with the Navy’s Adopt-a-Ship Program supporting the culinary divisions on board both the USS Stethem (DDG-63) and USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) of the coast of Japan while both ships were in active forward deployment.