Chefs and restaurant owners whose menus support plant-based choices have witnessed a steady increase in interest and responded in kind.
What’s new in food: Local book releases, markets and garden dining take wing in spring
New WNC cookbooks hit the shelves and ASAP’s Local Food Guide hits the stands, Hendersonville Farmers Market at the Historic Train Depot kicks off its second season, Meadow Market Sundays resume at Highland Brewing Co. and more Asheville food news.
Pandemic popularity of CSA memberships holds steady in 2021
As the world returns some sense of normalcy, the desire for the reliability and convenience of a CSA is holding fairly steady, and Western North Carolina growers have refined systems and made adjustments accordingly.
Food events abound as spring blooms
The Asheville Ben’s Friends chapter hosts a crawfish boil, Western North Carolina AIDS Project gets set for Dining In for Life 2021, Chow Chow announces its 2021 festival schedule and more local food news.
Restaurant groups help owners manage growth
An increasingly popular national model, hospitality and restaurant groups typically invest in and support chefs or restaurateurs with big dreams and small budgets in opening new concepts or growing an original location into multiple stores.
What’s new in food: Archetype wins big in New York International Beer Competition
Archetype Brewing wins N.C. Belgian Brewery of the Year, plus a new hemp cafe, Lasagna Love and new local alcohol choices at Mother Earth Food.
What’s new in food: Chefs bring on the funk in dance off fundraiser
In this week’s food news, a Food Connection dance challenge, new bakery developments and a hot-chicken discount for healthcare workers.
BrightFarms grows hydroponic greens in new Henderson County greenhouse
The 280,000-square-foot structure will produce over 2 million pounds of leafy salad greens a year to be shipped daily to local retailers.
What’s new in food: Asheville plans a nutritional food hub
Asheville Parks and Recreation surveys residents for a new wellness-focused food hub, April is Food Waste Reduction Month, Ivory Road Café & Kitchen hosts Macarons & Mimosas, and more local food news.
TDA projects roaring year for Buncombe visitation
At its March 25 regular meeting, the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority board unanimously approved a projection that occupancy tax revenue would exceed $27 million for fiscal year 2021-22 — 15% more than projected for the current fiscal year, which ends in June, and 9% more than the year before the pandemic.
Tailgate markets use 2020 hindsight to roll out fresh plans for 2021
After a mad scramble to reinvent themselves last spring, WNC’s neighborhood tailgate markets look ahead to the 2021 growing seaso
WNC Food Justice Planning Initiative collaborates for system change
The initiative has identified six strategies: healthy food distribution, community gardens, agriculture networks, food waste, cooking and nutrition education, and the development of a regional food council.
Spring brings new opportunities for local restaurants and food companies
We Give a Share plans to increase its capacity, Cúrate Spanish Wine Club hosts a series of virtual wine tastings and cooking demos and chef Susi Gott Séguret relaunches her popular Madison County foraging and dining expeditions, plus more local food news.
What’s new in food: Healthy eats, tasty treats, riverside dining
In this week’s local food news, chefs Eric Morris and Daniel Rider bring farm-fresh breakfast to the ASAP Farmers Market, Asheville Beauty Academy hosts Queen Mum High Tea, Summit Coffee opens a new location in the Grove Arcade and more.
Green in brief: WNC gets $100K toward charging stations, RiverLink seeks storm drain adoptions
The charging station program, funded by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality from part of the state’s allocation in the Volkswagen emissions-cheating scandal, partially defrays the cost of installing Level 2 infrastructure, which can recharge electric vehicles up to seven times as quickly as a standard 120-volt outlet.
Teaching kids to cook feeds culinary curiosity and builds confidence
Local chefs and cooking instructors offer tips for helping kids learn kitchen fundamentals.
Restaurateurs battered by the pandemic keep their dreams alive
Closing a restaurant is complicated, costly and emotional say three restaurateurs who made that difficult decision in 2020 and are still navigating the after effects and determining what’s next.
Restaurants reopen after winter sabbaticals
With spring just around the corner, restaurants are shaking off the dust from their winter breaks.
Xpress takes home eight awards from NC Press Association
The paper’s staff as a collective received three awards, including first place for appearance and design. The 2020 general election voter guide — which was shaped by reader requests and received significant funding support from the community — bagged third place for public service.
Commercial kitchens help food entrepreneurs realize their visions
Blue Ridge Food Ventures is the largest facility in the region offering rented kitchen, production and storage space. But several others have launched in recent years to help meet the needs and realize the dreams of Western North Carolina’s food and beverage visionaries.
What’s new in food: Veggie tales, ungraped wine, Nani’s flies the coop and more
Handmade skirts highlighting locally grown foods, a new homegrown delivery service from Nani’s Rotisserie Chicken, a class on country winemaking, local nonprofit news and more.