Les Dames d’ Escoffier International (LDEI) is an international organization of women leaders who provide leadership, educational opportunities and philanthropic events for the larger community. It is the only organization of its kind: a world society of professional women of high achievement in the fields of food, fine beverage and hospitality.
Its purpose is to provide a system for communication, support and networking among its members. The by-invitation membership, composed of over 2,600 members in 40 chapters in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, France and Italy is highly diversified, reflecting the multifaceted fields of contemporary gastronomy and hospitality.
Our Vision
LDEI is an international organization of women leaders who create a supportive culture in their communities to achieve excellence in the food, fine beverage and hospitality fields. To make this vision a reality, LDEI members:
- Share knowledge
- Support members
- Provide leadership, educational opportunities and philanthropic events for the community at large
Our work in Phoenix
Founded in 1996 by Dames Barbara Pool Fenzl and Robyn Lee, the Phoenix Chapter began shortly after the two women were invited to a formal tea party in the home of one of the Philadelphia Dames. At that meeting, one of the members of the national board told Barbara and Robyn that the board wanted to have a chapter in Arizona and asked them if they would be willing to start one. Both heartily agreed and invited eight other notable food professionals from the Valley to join them.
Ms. Lee was president the first year and Ms. Fenzl became president the following year. Besides educational sessions like wine tastings and explorations of new foods, the chapter hosted national board members when their meetings were held in Scottsdale.
Throughout the years, the women of LDEI Phoenix have gathered together in the community at members’ homes, in restaurants, at farms or via Zoom, all in support of female entrepreneurship. As of 2024, the chapter has a membership of more than 60 seasoned culinary professionals from across the state of Arizona, including cooking school teachers, chefs, resort managers, food and drink business owners, caterers, farmers, coffee roasters, authors, winemakers, dietitians, and non-profit activists.
A dynamic, energizing and supportive group that continues to make a difference in the culinary landscape throughout the State of Arizona!
