Gilbert Sidella Earns Lifestime Achievement Award

ACF National President René Marquis, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC, presented Chef Gilbert James Sidella Sr., CEC, 84, with a lifetime achievement award during the first round of tryouts for the ACF Culinary Team USA in September at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I.

Chef Sidella has been an ACF member for 51 years as an active member of and former education chair for the Connecticut Chefs Association. Chef Sidella worked at the Country Club of Waterbury in Connecticut; he also served as executive chef at Waterbury Hospital during the 1970s and ‘80s, during which time he received multiple awards for his culinary work, including judges’ awards for the best pastry and best poultry dish at the prestigious annual Connecticut Chef’s Culinary Art and Food Exposition. He also taught adult culinary education classes at Kaynor Technical High School in Waterbury and oversaw the foodservice program at Fairfield Hills Hospital in Newtown, Conn., during the ‘80s and ‘90s before his retirement when the facility closed.