Michael A. Beers, C.E.C. grew up on a small farm in upstate New York and received his culinary education through a formal apprenticeship and a series of stages that have taken him from New York to London, Arizona, France, and Boston before making North Carolina his home.
Michael had an appreciation of fresh foods from an early age and was exposed to heirloom gardening and seed-saving at his father’s side, (before they were buzz-words). He started cooking at age four but did not start cooking professionally until the age of twenty. After leaving his position as Sous Chef at the Thousand Island Yacht Club, he spent time catering in London, England before returning to New York for his apprenticeship in the kitchen of LaFayette Country Club under the tutelage of Michael Redmond, CEC, he then moved to Arizona where he spent four years working in hotels and resorts for Doubletree Hotels. Returning to the east coast, Michael spent time opening restaurants, working in private clubs, and catering in and around Boston.
Immediately before accepting the position that brought him to North Carolina as personal chef for NASCAR Champion Brad Keselowski, Michael spent the previous decade as the Executive Chef for several White Mountain resorts in northern New Hampshire. While working for Mr. Keselowski, Chef Beers simultaneously owned and operated the Tavern at Sunset Hill in Sugar Hill, NH, a 100-seat restaurant serving “contemporary American tavern fare.” Seeking new opportunities, Michael left the tavern at the beginning of 2019, and is currently the Executive Chef of River Run Country Club in Davidson, NC.
Recently Michael was named “Food and Beverage Professional of the Year, 2024” and is an integral part of the senior leadership team at River Run Country Club that garnered the “Facility of the Year, 2024” from Landscapes Golf Management.
Chef Beers is an actively involved in the ProStart program in New Hampshire, Maine, and North Carolina, (where he serves as the lead culinary judge) and is a member of the American Culinary Federation and World Association of Cook’s Societies, Club and Resort Chefs Association, Slow Foods USA, and Club Management Association of America, and professionally certified as an Executive Chef and Certified Culinary Administrator through the American Culinary Federation’s Educational Institute.
ACCOLADES & AWARDS
• Lead Culinary Judge NCPSI 2025-NCRLA
• Food & Beverage Professional of the Year 2024-Landscapes Golf Management
• Finalist North Carolina Chef Showdown 2024-NCRLA
• “LEAD” Values Award Winner-Landscapes Golf Management
• Semifinalist North Carolina Chef Showdown 2023-NCRLA
• ProStart Lead Floor Judge-New Hampshire
• “Golden Pan” Award 2018-AnnualCharlotte ACF/Second Harvest Food Bank Culinary Challenge
Concord, NC
• Executive Chef 2017 & 2018-Fields on The Saco-Upper Saco River Land Trust fundraising dinner
Conway, NH
• Best Overall & Best Appetizer-Charlotte ACF/NC Brewmasters Culinary Challenge
Charlotte, NC
• Regional Semi-Finalist 2016-Barilla Pasta “Represent Your Region” farm-to-table challenge
• Pumpkin King-Champion 2015-Colby Farm’s Farm to Table Chef’s Challenge
Newbury, MA
• ACF Chef of the Year 2015
White Mountains Chapter, ACF
• ProStart Competition Judge
NHLRA/ME/NC Restaurant Association
• Skills USA Culinary Competition Judge
Maine
• Elected Chapter Officer/Board Member
White Mountains Chapter, ACF
• Advisory Board Member-Mount Washington Valley High School Culinary Arts Program
Conway, NH
• Fields on the Saco-Slow Food USA Fundraising Dinner-2013-2015
Saco River Valley Chapter
• North Country Chefs Challenge Farm to Fork Challenge-Finalist
Whitefield, NH
• Chef of the Year 2013, 2014, 2015-Finalist
White Mountains Chapter, ACF
• Chefs Move to Schools-Advisory Member
Washington, DC
• Chef’s Choice Award-Best of Chefs of Lin-Wood 2012
North Woodstock, NH
• People’s Choice Award-Best of Chefs of Lin-Wood 2012
North Woodstock, NH
• “Top 50 in the East” 2011-Meetings Focus Event Planning
MeetingsFocus.com
• Top 3 On Mountain Dining in the East 2010
SKI Magazine
• Top 5 On Mountain Dining in the East 2009
SKI Magazine
• Best Overall, Best Entrée, Best Dessert- Best of Chefs Lin-Wood 2009
North Woodstock, NH
• People’s Choice Award-Best of Chefs of Lin-Wood 2010
North Woodstock, NH
• Best Wedding Caterer Boston 2006, 2007-The A-List, Boston CBS 4
Boston, MA
• Bronze Medal-Boston Culinary Classic
Boston, MA
• Management/Preparation for Large EventsArticlePublished
Santé Magazine
• ServSafe Food Protection Certificate (current since 1996)
National Restaurant Association
• Executive Chef-MSPCA Angell Memorial Hospital Fundraiser Dinner
Walpole, MA
• Culinary Diploma-Contemporary hot food competition
ACF
• Best Culinary Creation, Boston-Metro West- Star Chefs of Metro West
Boston, MA
• Bake With the Best-Honorable Mention
California Walnut Association
• Best in Show, Best in Category, People’s Choice Award, “A Taste of Chocolate”
Tucson,AZ
Chef Beers 