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We are Les Dames!

The San Antonio Chapter, with more than 65 members, just celebrated two decades of community philanthropy. Our organization is focused on scholarships for women, community garden funding, nutrition education for children & families and culinary excellence.
Holiday Event
New Members 2016

Welcome to our new members - Jo Ann Boone, Angela Covo and Julie Vrana.

Our Mission

We are a proud chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier International (LDEI) www.ldei.org.

LDEISA is an invitational organization of women leaders in food, beverage, agriculture and hospitality whose mission is education, advocacy and philanthropy.

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Education

The San Antonio chapter offers a wide variety of educational programs that are of interest to their community. These programs are designed to enlighten attendees and to stimulate discussion about selected subjects. In addition, the Les Dames members offer opportunities to mentor promising women who want careers in the food, beverage, hospitality and agricultural industries.

Advocacy

The members of Les Dames d’ Escoffier work tirelessly to promote women in the various food industries through networking and providing opportunities for education and career advancement. This amazing and talented group of women has worked very hard and continues to advance the significance of the entire food Industry.

Philanthropy

The San Antonio Chapter has helped to create and support ways to give back to our local community by providing educational programs and by offering annual scholarships to women entering culinary, hospitality and agricultural institutions. We also provide grants to local gardening associations to help with costs associated with these community garden projects.

Our Programs

A message from our Chapter President

Nichole Bendele, Sommelier, Public Relations Coordinator for Becker Vineyards

Welcome from the San Antonio Chapter!

We celebrate 25 years this year as an organization! I am honored to serve as President and work with a dynamic and energetic group of fellow Dames!

Our Chapter’s programs include: Green Tables, which supports our community gardens; Scholarships, for women pursuing a degree in culinary arts, hospitality, agricultural, or beverage business; and the Aspiration Grant, which supports women who own existing food related businesses. (Please visit our video from our Plate Changer Luncheon, Fall 2016, for a heartfelt example of the Aspirations program.)

We are excited San Antonio - named by UNESCO in 2017 "Creative City of Gastronomy" - will be the site of the 2021 LDEI Conference!

After the success of last year’s “Lone Star Whiskeys, A ‘Dame’ Good Afternoon” fundraiser (to benefit our Green Tables and Scholarships), we look forward to seeing you again at our next fundraiser slated for October 2020!

With gratitude,

Nichole Bendele

LDEISA Officers

Upcoming Events

Click on the Event Title for more details.

FOR MEMBERS ONLY

Mark your Calendar for this Spring 2020. February 11th - Annual "Word of Mouth" at the Home of Diana Barrios Treveño, this is our annual Book Club event. The book is 136 Recipes THAT SAVED MY LIFE by Ruth Reikel, RSVP to Nancy Fitch and bring recipe from book, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. February 29th New Member Nominations Due, Marilyn Magaro sent out Applications, 2 Dames needed to nominate with supporting letter, only one nomination per member. Contact Marilyn for questions This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. March 3rd - Our next Board of Directors Meeting Tuesday, March 3rd, 4pm at The Well,5539 UTSA Boulevard, San antonio, TX 78249. To RSVP for meetings contact Nancy Fitch This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. April 14th 4pm, Board of directors Meeting at the home of June Hayes, Theme: Fiesta, details to come. May 12th Board of Directors Meeting, 4 pm. Annual Required Bi-Annual Business Meeting 6:00pm, dtails to come.

Latest News

LDEI San Antonio Now Accepting Scholarship Applications

Written on 21 March 2018.

The San Antonio chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI) is now accepting scholarship applications from San Antonio area women who are currently pursuing a post-high school education in the food/culinary arts, wine, hospitality or agriculture industries. The women’s professional organization will award up to $25,000 in scholarships for the 2020-2021 school year.

Applicants must demonstrate financial need, attend an accredited institution, and currently maintain a cumulative 3.0 grade point grade average. Scholarships are limited to women who are current residents of San Antonio, Bexar County and its contiguous counties.

The scholarship application is available online at www.ldeisanantonio.org, and in the financial aid offices of many area schools.

Past scholarship recipients have included students attending the University of The Incarnate Word, St. Philip’s College, Johnson & Wales University, The Culinary Institute of America, and other higher education institutions.

Completed applications should be postmarked no later than April 15, 2020 and mailed to Les Dames d’Escoffier Scholarship, c/o Diana Barrios Treviño, P.O. Box 15302, San Antonio, TX 78212.

Successful scholarship recipients will be notified no later than May 31, 2020. Funds will be sent directly to the scholarship winners’ educational institutions no later than September 1, 2019.

For more information, contact Diana Barrios Treviño at (210) 771-7011 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

About Les Dames d’Escoffier San Antonio

Les Dames d’Escoffier San Antonio (LDEI-SA) is a chapter of LDEI International, a nonprofit association of professional women in the food, wine, hospitality and agriculture industries around the world. The organization is dedicated to assisting others through scholarships, education, advocacy and philanthropy.