Exhibitors at the 57th Summer Fancy Food Show in Washington, D.C., donated 153,000 pounds of specialty foods and beverages to a community kitchen.
The food was the single largest food donation in the history of D.C. Central Kitchen (DCCK), the Fancy Food Show’s local charity of choice. Items included artisanal cheese, olives, snacks, sausages, spices and other specialties from around the world. They were gathered by nearly 200 volunteers, including James Beard Award-winning chef José Andrés, a longtime board member of DCCK.
DCCK deployed the donated food to area food banks and to its own kitchens for use in the 6,000 meals it prepares every day. Some of the more unusual items, such as specialty olive oil and pickled vegetables, are being used in the organization’s Culinary Job Training Program.
“This was a wonderful way to end the show,” says Ann Daw, president of the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT) Inc., owner of the Fancy Food Show. “The monumental food donation by our generous exhibitors is one of our proudest traditions.”
With more than 180,000 specialty food products on display, the Summer Fancy Food Show is the largest marketplace for specialty foods and beverages in North America. It was held July 10-12 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The show returns to Washington, D.C., June 17-19, 2012.
Source: NASFT
