NEW YORK and MIDDLEBURG, Va., Feb.
8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Meredith
Corporation's (NYSE: MDP) FOOD & WINE and
Sheila Johnson's Salamander Hotels
& Resorts announce the debut of The Family
Reunion presented by Kwame
Onwuachi, a multi-day event that will celebrate diversity in
the hospitality community through cooking classes and
demonstrations, wine tastings and dinners, and thought-provoking
panel discussions with world-class chefs, sommeliers and industry
leaders including Carla Hall,
Edouardo Jordan, Nina Compton, Carlton
McCoy, Gregory Gourdet,
Mashama Bailey, Rodney Scott, Tavel
Bristol-Joseph, Pierre Thiam
and more.
Co-hosted by chef and author Kwame
Onwuachi and Salamander Hotels & Resorts Founder &
CEO Sheila Johnson, The Family
Reunion will take place August 19 –
22, 2021 at Johnson's Five-Star-rated Salamander Resort & Spa
in Middleburg, Virginia, located
in the heart of the state's wine country and just one hour from
Washington, D.C.
Event tickets will go on sale in April at
www.SalamanderHotels.com/FamilyReunion. Resort packages and
individual ticket options will be available, while specific
programming will also be unveiled at that time.*
Nurturing, developing and celebrating racial and ethnic
diversity within the next generation of hospitality professionals
is a core part of the mission of the event. In addition to
experiences taking place throughout the 340-acre property's outdoor
event spaces, Cooking Studio, Culinary Garden and restaurants,
there will be a center stage venue hosting a rotating lineup of
presentations and panel discussions. Throughout the weekend,
speakers, chefs and sommeliers will delve closely into the Black
cooking traditions that have shaped cuisine in America, share
lessons from the past, and focus on building a better and more
inclusive future.
A portion of the proceeds will be used to create a mentorship
and scholarship program which fosters diversity in the hospitality
industry, as well as to support efforts to help end childhood
hunger.
The only African-American woman to wholly own a Forbes Five-Star
resort, Sheila Johnson is renowned
as the co-founder of Black Entertainment Television and is also a
partner in Monumental Sports & Entertainment. As CEO and
founder of Salamander Hotels & Resorts, which manages luxury
properties in the US and the Caribbean, she has spoken frequently about the
need for greater diversity within the hospitality industry.
"Our remarkable, constantly renewing and evolving industry is as
diverse as any other," said Johnson. "But, we can, and should do
more. Therefore, I'm immensely proud to partner with FOOD &
WINE and Kwame Onwuachi and
delighted Salamander Resort & Spa can provide a platform for
thoughtful discussion about inclusion."
Leading up to the event, Onwuachi, who is also a 2019 FOOD
& WINE Best New Chef and the author of the culinary
memoir Notes from a Young Black Chef, will spend nine
days in residency at the resort, where he will be
cooking food based on his Afro-Caribbean heritage.
"We should be doing everything in our power to celebrate
diversity in our industry," said Onwuachi. "For too long we have
gone unnoticed and under-appreciated. This is our time."
The Family Reunion Presented by Kwame
Onwuachi is part of the expanding FOOD & WINE Classic
network of events that's anchored by the celebrated FOOD & WINE
Classic in Aspen, a mainstay of
the culinary world for over three decades, as well as the recently
launched FOOD & WINE Classic at Home virtual events, among
others. Created in collaboration with Salamander Hotels &
Resorts, FOOD & WINE will bring its expertise in editorial
event production to the creation of The Family Reunion and share
stories about the event in print, on foodandwine.com and on F&W
Pro, a business content vertical for the hospitality industry.
FOOD & WINE Editor in Chief Hunter
Lewis said, "We're grateful to Kwame for bringing the idea
of The Family Reunion to FOOD & WINE and thrilled to partner
with him, Sheila, and the team at Salamander Hotels & Resorts
to help produce the inaugural event in Virginia's beautiful wine country. The event's
mission aligns with FOOD & WINE's commitment to empowering and
uplifting more diverse voices in the culinary and food media
industries."
The Family Reunion enjoys sponsorship support from Virginia
Tourism Corporation, Lexus and the Brett
Johnson Collection.
* The event will follow appropriate COVID-19 health and safety
measures in conjunction with CDC and state guidelines.
About Salamander Hotels & Resorts
Salamander
Hotels & Resorts delivers comfortable luxury through signature,
immersive experiences that personally enrich the lives of its
guests. The company is privately owned and operated, and based in
Middleburg, VA, just outside
Washington, D.C. Founded by
entrepreneur Sheila Johnson in 2005,
it has a luxury portfolio featuring the Forbes Five-Star Salamander
Resort & Spa in Middleburg, a
340-acre equestrian-inspired property near Washington, D.C.; Half Moon, the iconic luxury
resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica,
which features the newly opened Eclipse; The Henderson, a 170-room grand beach resort in
Destin, FL; Hotel Bennett, a
spectacular 179-room hotel in Charleston,
SC, overlooking the city's historic Marion Square; and Innisbrook Resort in
Tampa Bay, which hosts the PGA
TOUR's Valspar Championship each year on its Copperhead Course. All
Salamander properties are members of Preferred Hotels &
Resorts. For additional information
visit www.SalamanderHotels.com.
About Salamander Resort & Spa
Salamander Resort
& Spa is a Forbes Five-Star rated and LEED Green Building
Certified resort situated on 340 picturesque acres in the
historic village of Middleburg, Va. Located only one hour
from Washington, D.C. and just 35 minutes from Washington
Dulles International Airport, the resort is designed to
respect the architectural traditions of Virginia's countryside
with 168 spacious rooms and suites that blend
into their natural environment. Resort Owner Sheila C. Johnson has created a
luxurious destination featuring an award-winning
23,000-square-foot spa, Harrimans Virginia Piedmont Grill, the
Gold Cup Wine Bar, a dedicated Cooking Studio, a chef-inspired
Culinary Garden as well as the adventurous Tree Top Zip Tour.
The resort includes a full-service Equestrian Center with unique
programming, a 22-stall stable and riding arena. All spa,
culinary and equestrian facilities and programs are open to
the community. For more information,
visit www.SalamanderResort.com
About FOOD & WINE
FOOD & WINE is the ultimate authority on the
best of what's new in food, drink, travel, design and
entertaining. FOOD & WINE has an extensive
social media following on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest,
and YouTube. FOOD & WINE includes a monthly
magazine in print and digital; a website, foodandwine.com; a books
division; plus newsletters, clubs, events, dinnerware, cookware and
more. At FOOD & WINE, we inspire and
empower our wine and food-obsessed community to eat,
drink, entertain and travel better—every day and
everywhere. FOOD & WINE is part of Meredith
Corp.'s (NYSE: MDP: Meredith.com) portfolio of
best-in-class brands.
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SOURCE Meredith Corporation