Chef Albert Celentano
Founder / CEOOriginally from Brooklyn, NY, food has always been his passion, from his Grandmother’s lasagna to Asian street food in Chinatown. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in 1984, he began working in the top ranked hotels and restaurants in NYC to gain more experience and knowledge. In 1994 he had the opportunity to travel overseas to work in the south of France. Furthering his skillset, he worked in restaurants and bakeries in Provence.
After returning to the States, he joined the Compass Group, opening over a dozen concepts ranging from restaurants to executive dining rooms, cafeterias, airport kiosks and even working off-premise PGA and US Open Events. During this time, he was a guest chef at the James Beard House for three different dinners & was reviewed by the New York Times, Zagat’s Restaurant Guide, The Village Voice and W Magazine. He also starred in an episode of David Rosengarten’s show, “5 Ingredients in 5 Minutes” on the Food Network.
Sensing it was time for a new challenge, he turned his path to Research and Development on the manufacturing side. To make a larger impact on consumer’s lives, he started with a short stint at Tyson’s in Texas and followed into a new business, Chef Co (named specifically for him).
Always wanting to provide healthier options for major food companies, he followed his intuition and worked with CTI as the VP of Culinary and R&D. He helped Panera develop their line of “clean label” soups and this experience encouraged him look to the future. How could he provide better food options for companies and consumers in retail and wholesale?
Albert created Artisan Food Group to provide healthier and more customized choices for Chefs and the food companies they work for. The original selections started with Asian and Italian noodles, ancient grains, custom bases, broths and sauces. When the pandemic hit, disposable gloves were a product we provided to keep workers and consumers safer. The most current addition to our product line are delicious plant-based cheeses.
Albert has a strong belief in giving back to the community that helped support him and while a member of The Research Chefs Association, he served as the chairman for the certifying commission to the Board of Directors. He personally helps to mentor young chefs and currently is on the Alumni Board for the Culinary Institute of America. Every year Artisan Food Group gifts a scholarship to a deserving student to help with tuition costs, after the annual “Run For Your Knives” race around the campus.
China Reed
Director of Quality AssuranceChina Reed is the Director of Quality Assurance for Artisan Food Group, in Dallas, Texas where she ensures the quality and safety of AFG products. China confirms continuous improvement within the company to ensure that products comply with specifications and quality standards, and are consistent with customer requirements. China holds a Bachelor of Science in Food Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Master of Science from the University of Georgia, in Flavor Chemistry and Sensory Science. China has been a consultant for 15 years and has more than 20 years of experience in the food industry. Her experiences is inclusive of developing and implementing HACCP, GMP, and global initiative programs such as SQF (Safe Quality Foods) and BRC (British Retail Consortium), support third party documentation and facility audit preparations. She also specializes in product development, implementing product creations from concept to commercialization. China has developed and launched various products from cheesecakes, brownies, biscuits, peanut butter, soup cups, and many others launching the first production of the Mardi Gras Cheesecake for Popeye’s, which became the first mandatory menu item at a Popeye’s Restaurant. China also teaches ServSafe with the National Restaurant Association to ensure food safety and quality to food handlers, as a way to give back to help those who are pursuing career choices in the food service industry. China participates in Global Mission assignments and serves as a volunteer as a youth mentor at her local church.
Matthew Celentano
Project ManagerMatthew Celentano is a Project Manager at Artisan Food Group, passionate about helping others and the environment. A college athlete, Matthew spent 4 years playing NCAA baseball at Beloit College and the University of Dallas, earning a place on the conference’s “All-Sportsmanship Team” in his final season. After graduating in December 2021 with a GPA of 3.4 and a B.A. in Economics & Finance, Matthew joined the Artisan team full-time. He is excited to bring healthier, more sustainable food options to market.