Chef Alan Turner
Chef Alan Turner is the corporate chef for AB Foods, a family owned and operated beef supply company, where he actively educates chefs and consumers about the company’s premium brands: Snake River Farms, Double R Ranch Northwest Beef and St. Helens Beef. In this role, he draws upon his vast knowledge that he has learned from over 30 years in the culinary field, which has included owning and running his own restaurant, teaching in the foodservice industry, and actively volunteering for numerous culinary causes in the community.
Chef Turner spent 6 years learning his craft in hotel kitchens before he opened the Hearthstone Barbecue in Enid, Oklahoma. Under his guidance, the Hearthstone received many awards including Best Family, Best BBQ, and Best Service restaurant for 5 years in a row. For 25 years he worked for Sysco Foodservices, where most recently he served as the Culinary Business Development Manager. In this role, he hosted hosts hundreds of food service professionals every year in a state-of-the-art culinary center.
Chef Turner’s love for the culinary industry is most evident in his active role in the Boise community. In 2006 he traveled to Taiwan for the Idaho Department of Agriculture to promote American products. He is an active member of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) and is the current chapter president of the Idaho Chefs de’Cuisine. He produces an annual ACF Culinary Competition at the Taste of Idaho event held every fall in downtown Boise and has been the 5 time executive chef for the Idaho Food bank’s primary fundraiser. He has helped produce four sold out “Iron Chef” style Competitions where 700 food lovers pack a theater to watch two local Chefs’ compete head to head. He also sits on the Technical Advisory Committee for Boise State University’s Culinary School.
