Celebrity Chefs

Want to the know the most perfect event in the country? Try the Food & Wine Classic held each summer in Aspen, Colorado. Sponsored by Food & Wine Magazine, the festival just recently completed its 27th year.

If you’re a food and wine connoisseur, the Food & Wine Classic is about as close to heaven as you can get without actually being there. It’s considered the mother of all food festivals and is a meeting place  for restauranteurs, chefs, journalists and food and wine loving people.  Add in the beautiful setting of Aspen, the almost always-perfect weather and ability to rub shoulders with celebrity chefs and you’ve got the ingredients of a weekend that’s hard to beat.

This year, the event featured 50 of the world’s foremost authorities on food and wine at 80 demonstrations and wine seminars. Among the celebrity chefs in attendance were Mario Batali, Giada De Laurentiis, Bobby Flay, Jacques Pepin, Ming Tsai and Tom Collichio.

It’s basically an eating and drinking orgy. For example, a typical day would go as follows…

-  Attend a variety of cooking demonstrations and, of course, sample the food. Among the demonstrations you could choose from were Asian Tapas with Ming Tsai,
Osteria Mozza with Mario Batali and Nancy Silverton and Burgers, Shakes, and Fries with Bobby Flay.

-  Sip wine at one of the wine seminars.

-  Head over to the Grand Tasting to sample a variety of foods.

-  Try one of the new drinks created by sponsor Grey Goose at their appropriately named lair, Chateau de Grey Goose

-  Attend the Best New Chefs of 2009 Dinner.

Speaking of the Grand Tasting, it’s the highlight of the weekend for many. Made up of a number of large tents, it’s the place to go to try a wide variety of food, from Peruvian tiradito to Cypriot soutzouko. Another highlight of the this year’s event was the Welcome Reception featuring food prepared by four previous winners from Bravo’s popular cooking show, Top Chef. Each chef prepared their signature dish at their own cooking station.

Normally, events of this kind would be exclusive affairs for the well-heeled crowd, but organizers make around 1,500 tickets available to the public. For more information, check out  The Food and Wine Classic Website.

PFP is a top celebrity booking agent for celebrity chefs, entertainers, sports stars and celebrities.

Find booking information on  celebrity chefs including:

• Martin Yan
• Cat Cora
• Mel Melton
• Mario Batali
• Keith Greene
• Darren McGrady
• Ina Garten
• Tyler Florence
• Gordon Ramsay
• Art Smith
• Sara Moulton
• Bobby Flay
• Missy Chase Lapine
• Lindsey Williams
• Jamie Oliver
• Duff Goldman
• Paula Deen
• Maria Liberati
• Sandra Lee
• Emeril Lagasse
• Lorena Garcia
• Giada De Laurentiis

While it’s true that celebrity chefs were around long before TV created the Food Network, it has created opportunities for many top chefs that did not previously exist. Back in the day, you might find a celebrity chef or two on PBS along with a couple of cookbooks to their credit. If they were lucky, they might even open up a restaurant. Today, the opportunities are endless – television shows, restaurants, cookbooks,  product endorsements, personal appearances, etc.

Take Bobby Flay, a famous TV chef for example. Thanks in large part to hosting several Food Network programs, including the Emmy Award-winning Boy Meets Grill, Flay currently owns and serves as executive chef of seven restaurants, has authored numerous cookbooks, has two lines of rubs and sauces, hosts his own show on Sirius XM Radio and gets paid more for an appearance than many Americans make in a year. And as a testament to his popularity, he even appeared in the Celebrity Softball Game as part of the MLB All-Star Festivities in July, 2008.

Contact Bobby Flay Booking Agent

Launched in 1993, today the Food Network  has become one of cable television’s most popular channels with such hit shows like Iron Chef America, Emeril Live and Good Eats.

A few of the celebrity chefs who appear on the Food Network include…

Giada De Laurentiis… An expert on everything Italian, Giada’s unique personality has made her a global celebrity. She earned an Emmy for Outstanding Lifestyle Host and has become one of the Food Networks’ most recognizable faces with two shows, Everyday Italian and Giada’s Weekend Getaways. She also has a recurring role on The Today Show and has enjoyed great success as a New York Times best-selling author and spokesperson for Barilla, the world’s largest manufacturer of pasta.

Contact Giada De Laurentiis Booking Agent

Sandra Lee…One of America’s most sought-after culinary experts, Sandra has built an empire on her Semi-Homemade philosophy. From a best-selling cookbook to a magazine to a tv show, Sandra has revolutionized the way people think about homemade. When her Food Network television series, Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee, debuted in 2003, it enjoyed one of the highest-rated show launches in network history. She’s an expert for many national TV shows including Good Morning America, Weekend Today, Fox News Channel, The View, Ellen, and Tyra among others.

Contact Sandra Lee Booking Agent

Paula Deen… Her rise has been nothing short of remarkable after opening a small catering company with just $200 in her pocket. As host of Paula’s Home Cooking on the Food Network, Paula brings uncomplicated and delicious home cooking with a Southern charm to the show. She also has a line of food products, has written several successful cookbooks and owns one of the most popular restaurants in Savannah.

Contact Paula Dean Booking Agent

Hire a celebrity chef, top chef or TV chef for:

• Appearances
• Corporate Events
• Demonstrations
• Endorsements
• Fundraisers
• Food Fairs
• Food Festivals
• Private Parties
• Public Relations
• Radio and Television
• Trade Shows
• Wedding Receptions

… and more.