Greetings!
We are pleased to announce the finalists for the 2011 Chefs Collaborative Sustainability Awards!
An esteemed panel of 21 judges with impressive culinary credentials has selected 15 finalists for the 2011 Chefs Collaborative Sustainability Awards. The awards will be presented on Monday evening, October 24, at the Riverview Room in New Orleans, during the 3rd Annual Chefs Collaborative National Summit.
Each finalist is deserving of special recognition for their contributions to both food and sustainability. "The field of nominees was especially competitive this year, which indicates the growing commitment to sustainable sourcing and food production," said Chef Michael Leviton of Lumiere and Area Four restaurants and chair of the Chefs Collaborative board.
Chefs Collaborative initiated its Sustainability Awards in 2010 to recognize individuals who have played an exemplary role in changing the sustainable food landscape. More than 300 chefs, food professionals, producers and food writers from around the country will applaud these leaders' achievements at the Chefs Collaborative National Summit.
Last year's winners were: Chef Peter Davis of Henrietta's Table in Cambridge, MA; Chris Koetke of Kendall College, Chicago, IL; Allison Hooper and Bob Reese of Vermont Butter and Cheese, Webstervile, VT. For more information about the awards and the process, please visit our website.
The 2011 finalists in three categories are:
Sustainer:
This award will recognize a chef who has been both a great mentor and is a model to the culinary community through his/her purchases of seasonal, sustainable ingredients and the transformation of these ingredients into delicious food.
Chef/owner, Brigsten's, New Orleans, LA
VP of Culinary Development, executive chef of Eurest, Compass Group, Charlotte, NC
Chef/owner, the Farmhouse, Kansas City, MO
Executive Chef, Fore Street, Portland, ME
Chef/Partner, FIG, Charleston, SC
Donald Miller
Executive chef, University of Notre Dame, IN
Pathfinder:
This award will recognize a visionary working in the greater food community who has been a catalyst for positive change within the food system through efforts that go beyond the kitchen.
Founder/CEO, Bon Appetit Management Company, Palo Alto, CA
VP, Foods and Farms, Ecotrust, Portland, OR
Bill Niman
Rancher and proprietor of BN Ranch, Bolinas, CA
Foodshed Champion:
This award will recognize a food producer (farmer, fisher, artisanal producer) committed to working with chefs and who exemplifies the following principle: Good food begins with unpolluted air, land, and water, environmentally sustainable farming and fishing, and humane animal husbandry.
Ben Burkett
Mississippi Association of Cooperative Farmers, Jackson, MS
Captain/Owner, Anna Maria Seafood, Dulac, LA
Farmer, Rocking R Dairy, Tylertown, MS
P & J Oyster Company, New Orleans, LA
Owner/producer, Cajun Grain Rice, Kinder, LA
Nick Usner
Farmer, Grow Farms, Bush, LA
A hearty congratulations to all the finalists! For more information on Chefs Collaborative and our National Summit, please visit our website at http://chefscollaborative.org.
Best,
Melissa Kogut
Executive Director |
