Story Ideas & Chef Sources Contact: Melissa Kogut, Executive Director, Chefs Collaborative 617-236-5286, melissa@chefscollaborative.org
Issues that fall under Chefs Collaborative’s domain that you can contact us about: Sustainable Seafood Heritage Animals and Heirloom Crops Renewing America’s Food Traditions (RAFT)
Chefs Using The Whole Animal Farm to Chef/Locavore Movement National Sustainable Food Summit
Chef Sources We have We have an impressive and varied knowledge base who are excellent subject matter experts in the sustainable food arena, including JamesBeard award winners, rising star chefs, artisanal farmers and sustainable fish and food producers. Our network of over 6,000 chefs and producers are eager to share their experiences and are available for interviews, quotes, story ideas, recipes, photos, etc.
Sustainable Seafood Chefs Collaborative has been one of the leading chef voices in the sustainable seafood movement for over a decade, and publishes a yearly ‘Chef’s Guide to Sourcing Sustainable Seafood’. This year we launched a unique joint effort with Blue Ocean Institute called Green Chefs, Blue Ocean . This free online training program is designed to take the mystery out of sustainable seafood and give chefs practical and user-friendly guidelines for creating ocean-friendly menus. Our position is that chefs must balance an understanding of marine conservation with the business demands of running a restaurant (all while responding to a shifting culinary landscape). Rather than taking a
89 South Street, Boston, MA 02111* 617-236-5200 * ChefsCollaborative.org
black-and-white stance on ‘good fish and bad fish’, we explore the nuances involved with sourcing sustainably and offer ideas for culinary solutions to our ecological challenges. We welcome the opportunity to be an important chef voice in this complex discussion.
Chefs Using the Whole Animal Many chefs are butchering their own animals (from steers to goats, pigs and chickens) and using under-utilized cuts of meats. This holistic approach to food production is catching on and we have chef contacts, photos and stories on this new trend.
Heritage Animals and Heirloom Crops Renewing America’s Food Traditions (RAFT) We have a number of chefs in our membership who regularly cook with heritage animals and heirloom crops, and are active partners in the RAFT program (Renewing America’s Food Traditions) which is raising awareness about the importance of biodiversity. Chefs Collaborative is leading an effort called the RAFT New England Grow-Out in which heirloom seeds are donated to farmers based on what is regionally significant and chefs agree to purchase the vegetables’ and put them on their menus. We hold chef events throughout the year, and you can learn more about RAFT on our website. For photos/chef references/recipes on ‘heritage/heirloom’ events, visit our blog. We’d love to connect you with our member chefs for heirloom/food tradition stories.
Farm to Chef/Locavore Movement Chefs Collaborative mission is to work with chefs and the greater food community to celebrate local foods, and we can connect you with chefs that are overcoming some of the challenges of sourcing locally. Our Farmer-Chef program connect chefs with local farmers, and we offer educational publications, panel discussions, and hands-on workshops to link food systems with ecosystems and demonstrate ways that chefs and farmers can build mutually beneficial partnerships.
National Sustainable Food Chef Summit
89 South Street, Boston, MA 02111* 617-236-5200 * ChefsCollaborative.org
Our National Summit brings together hundreds of culinary professionals from around the country for conversations and workshops about food and food systems. It’s a great opportunity for chefs interested in sustainability to engage in meaningful conversation, continue their education through practical workshops, and share expertise from the culinary field.
89 South Street, Boston, MA 02111* 617-236-5200 * ChefsCollaborative.org