PRESS RELEASE from the Chef Action Network
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chef Action Network and chefs William Dissen of Asheville, NC and Hari Pulapaka of Deland, FL, in partnership with the James Beard Foundation, are hosting the first Chefs At Work on Policy and Change salon in Asheville on February 1-2, 2016. The event, part of both organizations’ work to empower and engage chefs and culinary leaders around the country in the discussion about food policies at the state and local level, will host more than a dozen chefs and restaurateurs from across the southern United states including:
Chef Richard Arbaugh, Charleston WV, South Hills Market & Café
Chef Katie Button, Asheville NC, Cúrate bar de tapas
Chef Ashley Christensen, Raleigh NC, Poole’s Diner
Chef William Dissen, Asheville NC, The Market Place Restaurant
Chef John Fleer, Asheville NC, Rhubarb
Chef Damian Heath, Berkeley Springs WV, Lot 12 Public House
Chef Meherwan Irani, Asheville NC, Chai Pani
Chef Anthony Lamas, Louisville KY, Seviche
Chef Joseph Lenn, Knoxville TN, J.C. Holdway
Chef Travis Milton, Richmond Va, Shovel & Pick
Chef Annie Pettry, Louisville, KY, Decca
Chef Hari Pulapaka, Deland FL, Cress Restaurant
Sommelier Jenneffer Pulapaka, Deland FL, Cress Restaurant
Chef Levon Wallace, Nashville TN, Cochon Butcher
The chefs will be joined by authors Jane Black and Ronni Lundy, as well as the “seed saver” Bill Best and other policy and sustainable food experts from the Appalachian region.
“Chefs are now at the forefront of food policy and sustainability issues; they are connected to the land through their relationships with local farmers and artisan producers. They are also looking ahead to how their work can go beyond their restaurants. We are excited to bring this discussion series to Asheville and help further connect them to the fight for a better food system,” said Katherine Miller, Executive Director of the Chef Action Network.
“Here in Appalachia we have always focused on preservation and heritage. These notions come from generations of pioneers as they adapted to our rugged mountains and used their knowledge of the land to farm, forage, and preserve to feed others,” said Chef William Dissen, owner of The Market Place Restaurant. “We have a responsibility to expand their awareness of their work and open up new discussions in our kitchens, at our tables and in our communities.
While in Asheville these culinary leaders will also meet with local producers, policy makers, food preservationists and others to discuss how the South – and especially Appalachia — can contribute and participate in national discussions about local food, sustainable agriculture, food access and affordability and other issues that intersect both the culinary and policy fields.
On Wednesday, February 3rd, The Market Place Restaurant will host a special dinner prepared by Chefs Dissen, Fleer, Lamas, Lenn, Pulapaka, Button, Pettry and Irani. Tickets for this one-night-only event are available at http://bit.ly/1mGWhH5. Proceeds for the event will go to national nonprofit Chef Action Network.
This Chefs At Work on Policy & Change Series is related to the James Beard Foundation’s Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change. Both programs are produced in partnership with the Chef Action Network and designed to bring chefs together to talk about the ways you can use your voice and networks to have greater positive impact on local, state and national food systems. You can learn more about CAN at www.chefactionnetwork.com and the Boot Camps at www.jamesbeard.org/bootcamp. You can also follow both organizations on Twitter at @chefaction and @beardfoundation.
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ABOUT THE CHEF ACTION NETWORK
The Chef Action Network (CAN) is a non-profit organization that connects chefs to tools and resources that will help them create significant and lasting change in their communities, the country and the world. CAN is focused on harnessing the power of America’s preeminent chefs in support of a strong, sustainable, just and healthy food system. www.chefactionnetwork.com
ABOUT JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION
Founded in 1986, the James Beard Foundation celebrates, nurtures, and honors America’s diverse culinary heritage through programs that educate and inspire. A cookbook author and teacher with an encyclopedic knowledge about food, the late James Beard was a champion of American cuisine. He helped educate and mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts, instilling in them the value of wholesome, healthful, and delicious food. Today JBF continues in the same spirit by administering a number of diverse programs that include educational initiatives, food industry awards, scholarships for culinary students, publications, chef advocacy training, and thought-leader convening. The Foundation also maintains the historic James Beard House in New York City’s Greenwich Village as a “performance space” for visiting chefs. For more information, please visit jamesbeard.org. Get food news, recipes, and more at the James Beard Foundation’s blog. Follow the James Beard Foundation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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