The James Beard Foundation and VISIT PHILADELPHIA® are embarking on an exciting new partnership that brings the culinary and tourism industries together to make it easy for travelers to support delicious, diverse and sustainable food. The year-round, region-wide collaboration will connect travelers to the award-winning chefs and culinary talents that make Greater Philadelphia a not-to-be-missed destination for people who love food and love to make an impact. Embracing the Foundation’s mission of Good Food for Good™, VISIT PHILADELPHIA aims to drive those passionate about food to choose Philadelphia for their next culinary adventure.
Jeff Guaracino, president and CEO of VISIT PHILADELPHIA, the region’s official tourism marketing organization, made the partnership announcement at VISIT PHILADELPHIA’s 2020 Tourism and Hospitality Industry Outlook event on January 28, 2020 at The Met Philadelphia.
Partnership elements include:
- James Beard House Chef Takeovers: A four-night Philadelphia chef takeover at New York City’s James Beard House on January 29, January 30, April 21 and June 11, 2020, featuring Philadelphia’s award-winning chefs, rising culinary talent and in-the-know mixologists
- 2020 James Beard Foundation Awards Nominee Announcement: Taking place in Philadelphia on March 25, 2020, at the Barnes Foundation in collaboration with Constellation Culinary Group
- The James Beard Foundation’s Taste America®: Philadelphia Pop-Up Dinner on April 14, 2020, bringing the James Beard House experience to Philadelphia’s Spice Finch via an intimate, seated dinner featuring Spice Finch chefs Jennifer Carroll and Billy Riddle, as well as James Beard Award-winning chef Vishwesh Bhatt of Snackbar in Oxford, Mississippi
- Brand-New James Beard Restaurant Collective: A week of events that are open to the public in Philadelphia, featuring the city’s top culinary talents in August 2020; done in partnership with Center City District
“Travelers are taking a seat at our tables, supporting small businesses, entrepreneurs and people of all backgrounds who shape the many tastes of our region,” said Jeff Guaracino, president & CEO of VISIT PHILADELPHIA. “We are so honored to work with the James Beard Foundation — as partners in culinary and travel — to fully support, market and share our businesses’ stories to ignite change and fulfill the Foundation’s mission to promote Good Food for Good.”
“Given the impressive concentration of James Beard Award winners and other incredible culinary talent in Philadelphia, the partnership between VISIT PHILADELPHIA and the James Beard Foundation couldn’t be more natural,” said Clare Reichenbach, CEO, James Beard Foundation. “We are thrilled to grow our partnership with VISIT PHILADELPHIA as they promote a city that’s a top culinary destination for food lovers in the U.S. and around the world.”
Further details surrounding various events and initiatives will be announced throughout the year. The collaboration, which kicks off with the dinner series at the James Beard House, officially expands the relationship between VISIT PHILADELPHIA and the James Beard Foundation. In November 2019, Philadelphia was one of 20 host locations for the seventh annual James Beard Foundation Taste America tour, which offers a unique culinary showcase of James Beard Foundation Award winners and celebrated chefs across the United States. Philadelphia also served as the host location for the 2018 James Beard Foundation Award Nominee announcement. In 2019, VISIT PHILADELPHIA was the presenter of the James Beard Foundation Media Awards in New York.
About VISIT PHILADELPHIA:
VISIT PHILADELPHIA® is our name and our mission. As the region’s official tourism marketing agency, we build Greater Philadelphia’s image, drive visitation and boost the economy.
On Greater Philadelphia’s official visitor website and blog, visitphilly.com and uwishunu.com, visitors can explore things to do, upcoming events, themed itineraries and hotel packages. Compelling photography and videos, interactive maps and detailed visitor information make the sites effective trip-planning tools. Along with Visit Philly social media channels, the online platforms communicate directly with consumers. Travelers can also call and stop into the Independence Visitor Center for additional information and tickets.
About the James Beard Foundation:
The James Beard Foundation’s mission is to promote Good Food for Good™. For more than 30 years, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization has highlighted the centrality of food culture in our daily lives. Through the James Beard Awards, unique dining experiences at the James Beard House and around the country, scholarships, hands-on learning, and a variety of industry programs that educate and empower leaders in our community, the Foundation has built a platform for chefs and asserted the power of gastronomy to drive behavior, culture, and policy change around food.
To that end, the Foundation has also created signature impact-oriented initiatives that include our Women’s Leadership Programs, aimed at addressing the gender imbalance in the culinary industry; advocacy training through our Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change; and the James Beard Foundation Leadership Awards, which shine a spotlight on successful change makers. The organization is committed to giving chefs and their colleagues a voice and the tools they need to make the world more sustainable, equitable, and delicious for everyone. For more information, please visit jamesbeard.org and follow @beardfoundation on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
