Fred Tiess is the proprietor of Le Guild Culinaire, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based publishing company and consulting firm. The company’s primary focus is publishing the Chef’s Reference Guide for educators and restaurateurs. Expanding on this foundation, the subsidiary F&B Resources partners with commercial and retail food production companies to develop products, streamline processes, and enhance team proficiencies—ultimately maximizing profit potential and improving the guest experience for every client.

 

Tiess serves as a Master Instructor at the College of Food Innovation and Technology on the Charlotte campus of Johnson & Wales University. Since joining the faculty in 1995, he has taught at both the Norfolk and Charlotte campuses, advising the Epicurean Society and the American Culinary Federation (ACF) Competition Team for a decade. His diverse teaching portfolio includes Classical French Cuisine, International Cuisine, Garde Manger, Baking, and Pastry, as well as entrepreneurship courses within the College of Business and the College of Professional Studies. Tiess also led the Senior Capstone course for the School of Hospitality and coached Charlotte’s hot food team in the annual Intra-Collegiate Culinary Competition. In 2011, Tiess was honored as "Teacher of the Year" by Johnson & Wales University.

 

Before entering academia, Tiess gained extensive industry experience, notably serving as Executive Chef at the four-star Founders Inn and Conference Center in Virginia Beach. His career highlights include working as Chef d’Entremetierat the prestigious Everglades Club in Palm Beach, Florida, and rising to Sous Chef at the iconic five-star Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, after graduating as class valedictorian from its renowned apprenticeship program. His early culinary journey began in Manhattan, at his grandfather's bar, Barry’s, and his great aunt’s luncheonette on Nagle Avenue during the 1970s.

 

Throughout his career, Tiess has earned numerous accolades, including first place in Pastry at the 2000 Shenandoah Valley Food Competition, the 1998 Presidents Award from the ACF Tidewater Chapter, and Best of Show at the 1993 Nation’s Capital Chefs Association Culinary Salon. Under his leadership, the Johnson & Wales Junior ACF Hot Food Team secured a first-place finish at the 1998 Southeast Regional Competition in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and later earned a silver medal at the nationals in Anaheim, California. In 2007, his Charlotte team won the Intercollegiate Culinary Competition at J&W’s Denver campus. His national victories also include the Athens Fillo Dough Competition, National Bean Competition, Knorr Swiss Recipe Championship, and Cookshack Smoker Competition.

 

Tiess holds a Master’s Degree in Entrepreneurship from Western Carolina University, where he was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. He also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Food Service Management from Johnson & Wales University, graduating Summa Cum Laude and being inducted into the Golden Quill Honor Society and the Alpha Beta Kappa Honor Society. Additionally, he earned an Associate Degree in Business Administration from the State University of New York and an Associate Degree in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), where he completed two fellowships in Baking & Pastry and Professional Development.

 

A distinguished professional, Tiess holds certifications from the American Culinary Federation (ACF) as a Certified Executive Chef and Certified Culinary Administrator. He is also certified by the National Restaurant Association as a Certified Foodservice Management Professional and by the Foodservice Educators Network International (FENI)as a Certified Culinary Instructor. Tiess completed Master Chef courses at the University of Guelph-Humber Collegein Canada and holds the World Master Chef (WCMC) certification from the World Association of Chef Societies (WACS).

 

His media appearances include the Food Network special "Master Chef: The Test of a Lifetime" and ABC Family’s "Living the Life," which earned two Silver Telly Awards for culinary television production.

 

Tiess has cooked for numerous dignitaries and celebrities, including President George H.W. Bush, Vice President Dan Quayle, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, King Mobutu Sese Seko, and members of the Kennedy family. He has also prepared meals for entertainment and business figures such as Robin Williams, Bill Murray, George Foreman, Truett Cathy (Chick-fil-A), and Dave Thomas (Wendy’s).

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Beyond his professional achievements, Tiess is committed to humanitarian efforts. He has served on the Board of Directors for Mercy Chefs, a faith-based nonprofit dedicated to providing high-quality meals during disasters and emergencies. His service highlights include preparing over 5,000 meals for victims of Hurricane Isaac in New Orleans in 2012, directing the production of more than 35,000 meals in Moore, Oklahoma following an F5 tornado in 2013, and leading deployment efforts in West Virginia after catastrophic flooding in 2016, producing 18,000 meals for displaced residents. Since its founding after Hurricane Katrina, Mercy Chefs has served millions of meals, with Tiess playing a pivotal role in its mission.

For more information or to support these humanitarian efforts, please visit www.mercychefs.com.