Roland G. Henin, CMC

Roland G. Henin, one of approximately 60 certified master chefs in the United States, serves as corporate chef for Delaware North. He provides consultation and direction on culinary operations for all Delaware North-operated facilities, ranging from sporting and entertainment venues to national parks and world-class resort properties. His responsibilities also include serving as a mentor to the culinary teams of all Delaware North properties, challenging their skills and encouraging them to strive for excellence. Henin, an award-winning, internationally recognized culinary expert, is one of the principal members of the company’s Culinary & Hospitality Council, which seeks to establish and maintain within Delaware North the highest culinary standards in the industry. In addition, virtually all of the company’s many high-profile events – ranging from The Ahwahnee’s Bracebridge Christmas pageant to the 2004 Democratic National Convention to the Super Bowl in 2014 – have his mark on them.

Prior to joining Delaware North in 1998, Henin was the director of the Culinary Arts Department at the Art Institute of Seattle. Before that, he held various teaching positions at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., and Johnson & Wales College in Providence, R.I.

Henin continues to teach cooking fundamentals and has developed a professional culinary certification program with courses in sanitation, nutrition and supervisory development for Delaware North food and beverage employees. Several years ago, he created and implemented a widely acclaimed chefs summit for Delaware North culinarians. The weeklong summit brings together company chefs who immerse themselves in the tasks of honing their craft, exchanging ideas and developing priorities for the upcoming year. He also has worked extensively with the culinary apprenticeship at The BALSAMS Grand Resort Hotel, and has helped graduate a number of new chefs from the 40-year-old program.

In addition to his educational and culinary roles, Henin has joined visiting professional chefs each winter at The Ahwahnee’s annual Chefs’ Holidays. He also has served as executive chef at Oregon-based OSF International and Truitt Bros., as well as chef de cuisine at the five-star Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, Fla. In 1992, he served as the coach of the gold medal U.S. Olympic Culinary Team, helping the American chefs bring home the World Cup from Luxembourg. The following year, he received the first National Chef Professionalism Award ever granted by the American Culinary Federation.

A teacher and mentor to such famous chefs as Thomas Keller, he led Delaware North to its first Culinary Olympics in 2008. Later that year, he was named the coach of the U.S. team that competed in January 2009 in the Bocuse d’Or in Lyon, France.

Henin was educated at the College Moderne in Nancy, France. It is no coincidence that he is working toward the goal of professional certification for all Delaware North chefs. Henin was designated a certified executive chef in 1979 and a certified culinary educator in 1982 by the American Culinary Federation. He earned the coveted honor of certified master chef in 1983.