Paella (©photo by Pinam, courtesy of morgueFile.com)

More than 300 chefs and members of the culinary community gathered in New Orleans, from October 23 to 25, for the Chefs Collaborative third Annual National Summit.

The Collaborative galvanizes and educates culinary professionals, from farmers and fishers to chefs and writers, on issues where food and sustainability intersect. Summit attendees fully embraced the conference theme of “Hands on New Orleans – Sustainability in Action” with four butchery workshops and demos, charcuterie and classic cocktail workshops, and numerous conversations and practical workshops on timely topics including grass-fed beef, Gulf seafood, dead zones, farm worker justice and climate change.

The centerpiece of this year’s National Summit was the Sustainability Awards dinner at the Riverview Room held last night featuring Mistress of Ceremonies, Poppy Tooker, guest speaker, author Jessica Harris, and a dinner prepared by Chef Adolfo Garcia of Rio Mar, and a team of some of the Crescent City’s best chefs.

Sustainability Award Winners

The 2011 Sustainability Award winners, chosen by a panel of their esteemed culinary peers, are:

Chef Sam Hayward of Fore Street in Portland, Maine

Hayward was honored with the “Sustainer of The Year” award, which recognizes a chef who has been both a great mentor and a model to the culinary community through his purchases of seasonal, sustainable ingredients and the transformation of these ingredients into delicious food. "Sam has very quietly been doing this for a long time and has trained generations of chefs," said chef Michael Leviton of Lumiere and Area Four restaurants in Newton and Cambridge and chair of the Chefs Collaborative Board. "Not only that, but he has been a champion of a cuisine that is uniquely representative of Maine's bounty,” added Leviton.

Fedele Bauccio, founder and CEO of Bon Appétit Management Company (BAMCO) in Palo Alto, Calif

Bauccio received the “Pathfinder Award,” which recognizes 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. “This is a company that empowers its chefs to find creative ways to source, develop menus, motivate their staff and educate their customers,” said Melissa Kogut, executive director of Chefs Collaborative. “We’re impressed with Fedele’s vision and execution – once Bon Appetite Management is successful in one area of sustainability, they set new company-wide ambitious goals,” said Kogut.

Sal and Al Sunseri of P & J Oysters in New Orleans

Sal and Al Sunseri received the “Foodshed Champion Award,” which recognizes a food producer (farmer, fisher or artisanal producer) committed to working with chefs who also exemplifies the following principle: Good food begins with unpolluted air, land, and water, environmentally sustainable farming and fishing, and humane animal husbandry. “No institution has played a larger role in the advancement of south Louisiana's oyster industry than New Orleans' P&J Oyster Company, the oldest business of its kind in the United States,” said Kogut. “Since the oil spill, many are worried about the long-term sustainability of this important Louisiana business. P & J Oysters is working with amazing energy to ensure Louisiana oysters have a future," said Kogut.

“We were thrilled to recognize people in the food industry who have been doing outstanding work to positively and measurably impact the sustainable food landscape,” said Leviton.

The 2012 Chefs Collaborative National Summit will be hosted in Seattle, Washington.

Chefs Collaborative was founded in 1993, the Boston-based nonprofit a national network of chefs changing the sustainable food system landscape using the power of connections, education, and responsible buying decisions.

To learn more about the organization, go to: Chefs Collaborative

To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook

To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter

For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com