Cherry Hill, NJ, January 2007-Steve Goellner, a recent graduate from Johnson & Wales University in Denver, CO, has been named the new Midwest-based corporate chef for AGA's Foodservice Equipment division.

Goellner, 22, is a native of suburban Chicago. He set out to become a professional chef as a teenager, participating in the year-long ProStart Program offered by the National Restaurant Association. After graduating from high school a year ahead of his class, Goellner enrolled in Johnson & Wales, earning his Associate's degree in culinary arts in 2004 and his Bachelor's degree in 2006. While still an undergraduate at J&W, he worked as a personal chef for the Coors family, owners of Colorado's Coors Brewery, and prepared official dinners hosted by the mayor of Denver. Goellner also gained professional culinary experience as a sous chef at an Italian restaurant in the Chicago area, and in the kitchens of an international cruise ship, where, he noted, he put in 130-hour work weeks.

According to Goellner, his prior experiences in professional kitchens have given him a well-defined sense of what to look for in different types of cooking equipment. He added that he was eager to join Aga Foodservice Equipment because the company's hot-side products feature attributes such as cooking speed, reliable performance and ease of use that match up well with the qualities he values most. "As a chef, I always look for well-built, dependable models that will perform as specified for years to come," Goellner advised. "AFE makes equipment whose advanced, energy-saving designs won't be obsolete any time soon."

As one of two new corporate chefs, Goellner will be tasked with increasing industry awareness and acceptance of products from AFE's three hot-side companies: Eloma combi ovens, Infinity fryers and Stellar steamers. He will undertake this responsibility by conducting product demonstrations, producing cooking guides and, perhaps most importantly, by meeting with professional chefs, foodservice directors and specifiers.

His years of experience in professional kitchens, Goellner noted, will prove valuable when performing each of these duties. "As a chef, I'll be speaking the same language as those industry members I work with on behalf of AFE," he explained. "When someone asks how long to cook a particular menu item, for example, I can tell them. When they have a question, I'll be able to answer it in a way that addresses their underlying concerns.