Chefs are not just the leaders in the culinary industry, but they’re also the leaders around key issues that will affect the future of food, such as sustainability, obesity, farming, re-imagining how we look at food and enhancing the quality of what we eat. For that reason, The James Beard Foundation has launched its second annual Blended Burger Project™, a movement to make the iconic burger better by blending ground meat with chopped mushrooms to demonstrate the intersection of flavor, nutrition and sustainability.
The James Beard Foundation wants chefs to know that a Blended burger is incredibly delicious not only because it incorporates umami-rich mushrooms, but it is also healthier for your guests (lower calories, fat and sodium) and more sustainable for the planet. This is consistent with what guests are looking for and fits perfectly into the James Beard Foundation’s Impact Programs. What’s more, when you join the Blended Burger Project, you can win a trip to cook your burgers at the historic James Beard House in October.
Chefs in every segment have the opportunity to make this small change that can make a significant difference by making the world a healthier and more sustainable place. To participate, go to www.jamesbeard.org/blendedburgerproject and:
- Create your "Blended Burger" by blending at least 25 percent fresh and chopped cultivated mushrooms into your burger patty. Learn more about The Blend at www.mushroomsonthemenu.com.
- Send a high-res photo of your Blended Burger dish to Michelle Santoro at blendedburger@jamesbeard.org for use in the online voting gallery.
- Spread the word about the contest and your Blended Burger by creating buzz on social media. Encourage your guests to post your Blended Burger on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Promote the #BlendedBurgerProject hashtag and voting instructions on a chalkboard displayed in the restaurant or on your menu.
- Menu the dish any time during the promotion period, which is Memorial Day through July 31, 2016. Many chefs from last year were so impressed by how much their guests loved the burger that it remains on their menu today.
- Ask your customers to vote for your Blended Burger at www.jamesbeard.org/blendedburgerproject. James Beard Foundation will send you promotional materials to help you publicize the program.
- The five (5) chefs with the most online votes will win a trip to the historic James Beard House in New York City where they will cook their Blended Burgers on October 17 and 18, 2016.
While some of the nation’s top chefs have already pledged their participation, every chef regardless of operation or segment can participate, from top chefs to burger bistros, cafes, colleges & universities, business dining, food trucks, hotels and more.
So even if you feel you have the best burger around, this is an opportunity to work together with the James Beard Foundation, be rewarded and publicized for your participation and help change the way Americans eat for the better. Diners are looking to you to show them how to look at their foods in new ways that are good for our environment and our health, without sacrificing flavor. The Blend, which the Culinary Trust called “the future of food”, is a great way do just that.
To find out more information and to join the Project, go to: www.jamesbeard.org/blendedburgerproject
This post is sponsored by Blended Burger Project™