top of page

About EFST

Here at Elite Food Safety Training, we are more than a ServSafe© provider.  Along with the wide variety of courses we offer, we also have Auditing Services, Co-Inspect and Therma Demos, and a promise of partnership.  All clients -past, present and future- are treated with respect and kindness.  Our team is dedicated to being personable and available to all.  Each client is treated as the MVC (Most Valuable Client).

 

EFST was born out of a passion to partner with and help guide food service workers and professionals as they strive to create and maintain safe kitchens and environments in their establishments.

 

EFST is a Certified Provider of ServSafe© courses.  This training is designed for anyone desiring more than a "conveyer belt" training. As professionals in the food industry, we’ve seen many other training providers promise to give you what you want.  However, EFST is dedicated to giving you what you need.  Our mission is to ensure our clients are continuing to learn long after their class has ended.  We strive to educate our clients in a way that ensures the knowledge they receive is retained and used professionally and personally each day.

​

​​​

Our instructors are trained to use a wide variety of teaching methods to keep the courses entertaining and interesting.  At EFST we understand time is money, that’s why we provide a safe, professional classroom style training designed to ensure the retention of study material with a blended learning approach.  We use videos, quizzes, handouts, role playing and more. This approach encourages attendees to listen, watch and retain key food safety principles.  Our clients are able to go back to their place of business and be a true leader in food safety. They successfully lead their teams and are confident in the knowledge they have obtained.  We want our clients to enjoy their training and at the end feel equipped with the knowledge they need to handle any food safety problem.

Meet the Owner

image_Sam_chef (1).jpg

Sam Derr

My name is Sam Derr.  I have been a certified ServSafe© Instructor and Proctor for the past 13 years.  I was professionally trained as Sushi Chef at the world famous California Sushi Academy.  My training was given by Toshi Sugiura and Zoran Lekic. I know and understand the physical and mental strength it takes to run a restaurant operation.  I also provide ServSafe food safety training and Sushi oversight training for many U.S. Military Commissaries as "Sushi Sam".

​

The fast paced and ever-changing environment inside a kitchen can be extremely complex especially when handling “Sushi”. Also, as we now come into the post “COVID-19” world where food safety is even more important than ever to help restaurant owners with a high degree of operations and creative ways to maximize sales.  I focus on keeping the studying and course material exciting, engaging and sharing new data and food safety information relative to the industry while focusing on safe food practices daily that are always my #1 priority!

​

In addition to being a certified ServSafe© Instructor and Proctor, my credentials include:

​

  • National Restaurant Association - Allied Member

  • Food Allergen Specialist

  • National Environmental Health Association Food Safety Auditor

  • National Environmental Health Association HACCP Manager

  • Professional Sushi Chef

  • Certified Sake Advisor

  • Consult for Military Deli & Bakery Services to provide oversight for over 100 sushi location within the U.S. Military segment.

  • Very knowledgeable of Military food segment safety and public health.

  • Restaurant OSHA Instructor.

  • NEHA Member

​

Thank you for trusting Elite Food Safety Training for your training needs.  Please meet the rest of my team: 

ServSafe_DiningCommitment_4c.jpg
NRA_Allied2019_4c.jpg
bottom of page