Photo above: Chef Travis Guest Lecturing at Daegu Health College in Daegu, South Korea.
With national guest appearances on CBS This Morning, NBC TODAY Show and The Food Network, Chef Travis Smith has garnered multiple gold and silver medals in culinary competition including 4 Olympic Gold, 2 World Cup Gold, the U.S. National Soup and Sauce Championship, and 3 Time Chef of the Year. Experienced in private clubs, resorts, restaurants, hotels, high performance athletic training tables, health care nutrition, food trucks, culinary schools, and military food operations.
A seasoned and solid leader in the fields of culinary arts and hospitality with professional certifications as an executive chef, sommelier, and business administrator with demonstrated successes planning, building and leading highly successful teams within private clubs, resorts, restaurants, catering operations, hotels, healthcare, higher learning and the US Army. I bring a significant, bottom-line impact to financial stability through effective leadership of daily operations without sacrificing the client experience. I am passionate about genuine hospitality and relish in the achievement of exceptional planning, training, teamwork and execution that ultimately results in exceptional food, beverage, and service quality in every environment from outdoor-casual to the most extensive multi-course plated dinners. My artistic skills include innovation, creative design, garde manger, pastry, and ice sculpture. I enjoy the processes of team building, goal setting, and dynamic collaboration with individuals and groups for the greater good. My belief in three pillars to success: proven processes, effective systems and faith in my motivated team of professional-minded members, brings great results. I specialize in team building, personnel development, new business launch, renovation, culinary budget planning and guest-member satisfaction.
Career Highlights:
With over thirty years in the field, I have served as a consultant and Interim Executive Chef at The Club at 3 Creek, Jackson Hole, WY; The Amarillo Country Club, Congress Lake Club; Elmwood Country Club; Interim Exec Chef of Platte River Fort and Resort; Puma Hills Resort; 511 Rose Restaurant and Saloon; Guest Chef at Bohemian Grove Encampment; Executive Chef of Vail Resorts, Breckenridge Ski Resort, One Ski Hill Place Rock Resort; Team Captain of the World Championship US Army Culinary Olympic and World Cup Team, Change Leader and Culinary Program Manager for the US Army, Professor of Culinary Arts, Wine Appreciation, and Food Safety. Additionally I am the Founder of Bistro Colorado, a restaurant-catering brand in the Denver, Colorado area. My teams and I have made national television appearances on The Food Network, PBS, CBS This Morning, and The TODAY Show as well as multiple local news shows because of our successes in the many endeavors we have been involved with.
Selected Awards and Honors:
Culinary Olympic Medals (4) Gold, (1) Silver | Culinary World Cup Medals (2) Gold (2) Silver 2011 Colorado Chef of the Year | 2002 National Soup and Sauce Champion Fellow of the American Academy of Chefs – Honor Society for Chefs in the United States | Best Menu and Most Unique Menu Awards at Taste of Colorado 2016
Additional Information:
Chef Smith fostered his culinary talents in multiple assignments with some exceptional master chef mentors in North America, Asia, and Europe. He served as the Chief of Culinary Skills Training for the US Army School of Catering and as Captain and Team Manager he was instrumental in the U.S. Army Team winning the 2000 Culinary Olympic Triple Gold Medal and World Championship.
Smith has garnered over 30 gold and silver culinary awards, 11 championships in national and international team competition. A three-time culinary olympian and he has accrued 7 "Best in Show" culinary awards including the prestigious 1995 U.S. Army Chef of the Year; the 2002 U.S. National Soup & Sauce Championship; the 2005 National Military Chef of the Year; & in 2011 he won the Colorado Chef of the Year award.
As the head culinary coach, Smith led multiple culinary teams from around globe to win 1st place honors in the U.S. military's world wide culinary arts competition championship in 1993 (Hawaii Team), 1999 (Ft Drum, NY Team), 2005 (Korea Team) and 2006 (Korea Team). His most highly regarded culinary award is the triple gold medal and overall champion status from the 2000 Culinary Olympics for which he and a team of fellow military chefs trained extensively under the watchful eye and with the guidance of Certified Master Chefs.
He maintains certifications in Food Safety and Sanitation through The National Restaurant Association. He is a Certified Professional Chef III with the Culinary Institute of America where he completed multiple courses in cuisines of the world, garde manger, charcuterie, and healthy cooking. While not a certified pastry chef, he has taken multiple courses with experts in patisserie and has worked as a baker and as a pastry apprentice. While Chef Smith may be accomplished, he considers himself a lifelong learner and continues to study his craft in preparation for the ultimate cooking test, the Certified Master Chef Exam.
In 2012 Chef Smith attained Level II, Certified Executive Sommelier from the International Wine Guild, Denver CO. Smith holds a Masters of Business Administration degree (2013) from Daniels College of Business at The University of Denver in Denver, CO and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management with emphasis in Hospitality Management (2006) from Sullivan University, Louisville, KY. He is a graduate of the American Culinary Federation Apprenticeship Program (1989) and also holds an Associates Degree in Occupational Studies (1995) from Honolulu Community College, Honolulu, HI. He graduated from the Warren Occupational Technical Center Restaurant and Culinary Arts Program and Bear Creek High School in Lakewood, CO.
Chef Travis is skilled in cutting edge culinary techniques, ice sculpture, pastry, gardemanger, classic French cuisine, contemporary and modern styles, as well as a myriad of global cuisines including a solid comprehension of the ever popular food styles and methodologies in the foods from Continental Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Mediterranean.
Summary of training, education and professional affiliations:
EDUCATION
University of Denver, Denver, CO
Executive Masters of Business Administration, 03/08/2013
Sullivan University, Louisville, KY
Bachelors Degree in Hospitality Management, 06/15/2006
Honolulu Community College, Honolulu, Hi
Associates Degree - Occupational Studies (Culinary) 06/15/1995
American Culinary Federation, St. Augustine, FL
Apprenticeship Graduate - 11/05/1989 (Colorado Apprentice of the Year)
Warren Occupational Technical Center, Lakewood, Co
Restaurant and Culinary Arts - Certificate/Diploma 06/15/1985
United States Army Warrant Officer Academy, Fort Rucker, ALWarrant Officer Candidate School ~ Dean’s List, 1996
United States Army Quartermaster Center and School, Fort Lee, VA
Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course ~ Dean’s List, 1994 Warrant Officer Basic Course ~ Distinguished Graduate, 1996 Warrant Officer Advanced Course ~ Recipient of R&DA Award, 2003
ADVANCED CULINARY TRAINING
Master Chef Workshop (Modern Plating Techniques with Master Chef Rich Rosendale) Evergreen, CO - 08/2017
Master Chef Workshop (Mystery Basket, Classic French) Schoolcraft College, Livonia MI - 03/2010
Master Chef Workshop (Healthy Cooking, Garde Manger Buffet Platters) Oregon Coast Culinary, Coos Bay, OR - 03/2010
Master Chef Workshop (Classic French, Mystery Basket) Cincinnati State University - 03/2010
Master Level Pastry Workshop (Petite Fours, Plated Desserts with Chef Tricia Nash) Fort Riley, KS - 11/2008
Professional Development, Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY – 11/2002 thru 11/2005
(Master Chef Workshops / Healthy Cooking / Charcuterie / Global Cuisine / Classic French, Pro-chef Testing)
Master Chef Workshop (Mystery Basket, Classical French, Garde Manger Buffet Platter) Chicago, Il 2002
Master Chef Workshop (Classic French Cuisine, Mystery Basket, Healthy Cooking) Houston Country Club, TX 04/2002
Master Chef Workshop (Mystery Basket) Eastlake Country Club, Atlanta, GA - 03/2002
Master Level Pastry Workshop (Plated Desserts with Chef Susan Notter) Fort Drum, NY - 11/1998
US Military Culinary Olympic Team and Master Chef Workshops with MC Lou Jones, Stephen Miller CMC, 1991-2002
Advanced Pastry Workshop with Master Chef Lou Jones - British Forces School of Catering, Aldershot, England - 10/1995
American Culinary Federation Apprenticeship with Chef Michael Campe CEC AAC – 11/1989
CERTIFICATIONS
Certified Master Chef Candidate ~ American Culinary Federation
Certified Executive Chef ~ American Culinary Federation
Culinary Competition Judge – American Culinary Federation
Pro Chef Level III Certification ~ The Culinary Institute of America
Serve Safe Manager ~ National Restaurant Association
Certified Executive Sommelier Level II ~ International Wine Guild
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
American Culinary Federation Culinary Competition Committee Member 2021 ~ 2023
American Culinary Federation Certification Commission 2008 ~ 2010
American Culinary Federation 1987 ~ Present
American Academy of Chefs 2003 ~ Present
Advisor to United States Army Culinary Arts Team
Culinary Certification Coordinator for 8th US Army, Korea
Spokesman, United States Army Culinary Arts Program (2000-2004)
Military Chair (2000-2004) - Culinary Committee – World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS)
United States Military Representative (2000-2004) – International Military Culinary Organization (IMCO)
Manager U.S. Army Culinary Arts Team (2000-2004)
SELECTED AWARDS
Six (6) Meritorious Service Awards, US Army
Five (5) Army Commendation Awards
Colorado Chef of the Year - 2010
Armed Forces Chef of the Year - 1995 / 2005
Germany - Culinary Olympic Medals (4) Gold, (1) Silver (2000 World Championship Triple Gold - Military National Team Category)
Luxembourg - Culinary World Cup Medals (2) Gold, (2) Silver
Switzerland - IGEHO Culinary Cup Medals (1) Bronze
South Korea - WACS Culinary Medals (1) Gold, (1) Silver
2011 American Culinary Federation Colorado Chef of the Year
2002 National Soup and Sauce Champion, USA
US Military Culinary Competition Team Championship 1st Place (1995,1999,2005,2006)