Condolences to the family of Master Chef John Kinsella

Master Chef John Kinsella, a Cincinnati State faculty member for nearly 30 years, a driving force in the development of the Midwest Culinary Institute, and a renowned chef, died June 25, 2023.

A funeral mass will take place on Monday, July 10, at 11 a.m. at St. Mary Hyde Park Church, 2853 Erie Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45208.

Business Division Dean Yvonne Baker said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Kinsella family during this difficult time. We will forever be grateful for Master Chef Kinsella’s influence on the Midwest Culinary Institute. His legacy lives on at Cincinnati State and in the thousands of students and colleagues he inspired during his career.”

Chef Betsy LaSorella, chair of the Pastry Arts program, said, “Chef Kinsella was an inspiration to all of us. He kept us on our toes, and he encouraged us to raise our culinary standards to the best they could be.”

Hospitality Management chair Paula Kirch Smith said, “Chef Kinsella welcomed me with open arms on my first day at Cincinnati State 15 years ago, I will always remember him for his huge heart, and his amazing Gumbo.”

According to a biography published by the Cincinnati State Archives, Master Chef Kinsella joined the College in 1983 as the coordinator of what was then called the Chef Technology program.

Before he became a faculty member, Kinsella had served as the Executive Chef in restaurants in Europe and the U.S., including the Gourmet Room at the Terrace Plaza Hotel in Cincinnati.

In 1985, Kinsella was designated a Certified Master Chef by the American Culinary Federation. At the time, there were only 16 master chefs in the United States.

For decades, Master Chef Kinsella championed the idea of developing a major culinary school in Cincinnati, culminating with the launch of the Midwest Culinary Institute in 2004.

He served as National President of the American Culinary Federation from 2005 to 2009, and he advised gold-medal winning student teams in culinary competitions worldwide from 1998 to 2008. He was voted Cincinnati’s Chef of the Year twice and was recognized as a “culinary educator par excellence” by Cincinnati Magazine.

Kinsella was awarded the distinction of World Global Master Chef in 2008, one of only 34 chefs in the United States to hold such credentials. In 2013, Kinsella was inducted into the American Academy of Chefs Culinary Hall of Fame.

The American Culinary Federation published this remembrance of Master Chef Kinsella.