Mark W. Allison is the dean of culinary education at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, N.C., USA. He joined Johnson & Wales University in 2004 as associate professor for the College of Culinary Arts, teaching courses in garde manger, French classical and international cuisine for four years before he was promoted to dean of culinary education in 2008.

 

Originally from Newcastle Upon Tyne in England, Allison earned several culinary certifications. In 1996 he earned a Certification in Education from the University of Wales and in 1998 a M.B.A. from Leicester University, U.K. A Master Chef of Great Britain since 1999, he was recently elevated to Fellow of The Master Chefs of Great Britain - an accolade bestowed to chefs considered to be at the top of their profession. Allison is one of only 25 Fellows in the United Kingdom. He is also a Master Craftsman of the Cookery and Food Association (Craft Guilds of Chefs) and holds memberships with the Hotel Catering International Management Association (HCIMA), Council on Hotel Restaurant & Institutional Education (CHRIE) and La Chaine des Rotisseurs.

 

Allison moved to the United States in 2004 from West Glamorgan, Wales, UK, where he was a senior catering lecturer at Neath Port Talbot College. While there, he led student teams to two unprecedented consecutive wins in 2001 and 2002 at the distinguished Toque d’Or competition. He also achieved fame at Neath Port Talbot College by winning Restaurant Magazines “Best College Restaurant” in Wales and the South West of England competition in 2004. At JWU he coached the Charlotte Culinary Team for three years and led them to win the Intra-Collegiate Competition in 2007. Allison’s team was also one of the main attractions at the 2007 “Skills for Chefs Conference” held in Sheffield, England.

 

Allison’s honors include the 2011 JWU Research and Publishing Award; the 2009 JWU Community Service Award; the 2008 JWU Teacher of the Year Award; the 2006 JWU Outstanding Service Award; and the 2003 Neath Port College, U.K. Teacher of the Year Award. In 2003 he was personally honored by Prime Minister Tony Blair for his dedication to the Education and Hospitality field in Wales at 10 Downing Street, London, England. In that same year he received the Craft Guild of Chefs Education & Training Award, which is considered nationally the ultimate achievement in culinary arts education in the U.K.

 

Allison’s industry contributions do not end in the classroom. He is on the board of directors for the American Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation as Matthew his middle son has type 1 diabetes. He also believes strongly in healthy eating for children in school and in the home. Allison is on the board of directors of the North Carolina Education Foundation. He is also a board member of the American Culinary Federation, Charlotte Chapter. Allison is currently working on International exchange programs with students, colleges, and chefs associations in the UK; he has recently organized scholarships for the Craft Guilds of Chefs Association and the Master Chef’s of Great Britain, as well as setting up student work placements for JWU students in the UK.

 

He is a frequent lecturer and judge at colleges in France, Spain, Italy as well as Alaska and Singapore. He was a Judge for the Nestle′ Toque d’Or Competition, the Caterer and Hotelkeeper Magazines Catey Awards, and is a national judge for ProStart. Allison is also a frequent writer for numerous culinary publications and previously had his own recipe column in the South Wales Evening Post. He has also appeared live on TV and Radio in the UK and US, most recently the Cooking Channels “Cooking School Confidential” which featured JWU students. He is the author of “150 projects to get you into Culinary arts” through Quarto publishing based in London, UK and Barons publishing based in the US. Currently he is writing a diabetic cookbook, with local radio host Stacey Simms. “Eat Sensibly with Diabetes.”

 

Connect with Chef Mark on LinkedIn by clicking here.

 

 

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