A Message About COVID-19
The James Beard Foundation recognizes the dire situation the food and beverage community is in due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
We know that swift action is needed to ensure there is a vibrant culinary and beverage community still standing once we are on the other side of this pandemic. We hope you’ll support—at any level you can—to help these important community institutions survive.
IWe are closely monitoring updates from the Center for Disease Control, World Health Organization, and federal and local governments, and we are taking precautionary measures to ensure the safety and well-being of our staff, members, guests, chefs, and partners as we learn more about COVID-19 (Coronavirus).
In addition to the Relief Fund, the James Beard Foundation has been developing a number of resources to help during this time. We encourage you and your colleagues to sign up and participate.
- Industry support webinars: The James Beard Foundation is hosting webinars on varying—but relevant—topics, to help provide resources for the hospitality industry and to better stay connected. These webinars are recorded, and past recordings can be found on the bottom of that page.
- Chef advocacy toolkit: With the support and feedback from chefs and culinary organizations across the country, the Foundation has created this toolkit to help the restaurant community advocate for the relief necessary for small businesses to survive.
- How the Restaurant Industry is Responding to COVID-19: This webpage includes and is often updated with resources for diners, restaurateurs, and chefs.
James Beard Awards
The Foundation has taken the guidance of the CDC, the counsel of our legal advisors and our Board of Trustees, and has worked closely with our partners to make the decision to postpone the annual James Beard Awards to summer 2020.
The postponement includes the James Beard Media Awards (originally scheduled for Friday, April 24, in New York City), the Leadership Awards (Sunday, May 3, in Chicago), and the Restaurant & Chef Awards (Monday, May 4, in Chicago).
We will continue to work with our partners in the coming weeks to identify new dates for all three Awards ceremonies.
James Beard House
Due to health and safety concerns and considerations regarding limiting the travel of the chef teams who come to cook at the James Beard House and the communities they return to, we have decided to postpone all scheduled Beard House dinners through May.
The well-being of our chef community, members, and guests is our highest priority, and we are working with the chefs on rescheduling the dinners for later in the year. If you had tickets for a dinner or event during this period, the Foundation will be in touch directly regarding the postponement of events.
Taste America and National Events
We are postponing all Taste America and other James Beard Foundation national events and dinners through May. We will be working with the chefs and local planners to reschedule these events.
Membership Inquiries and Benefits
The James Beard Foundation office is currently closed and staff is working remotely. Therefore, there may be a delay in processing your memberships, responding to general inquiries, and fulfilling gift certificate orders. While we are currently unable to distribute physical member cards and gift certificates, you can request a digital version in the meantime by email.
Industry Programming
We have postponed all in-person industry programming through April, including next week's Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change, and next month's Owning It in Los Angeles. We are in touch with participants about online versions of these programs. In April and May, we will be offering a series of free online educational experiences to continue the progress we've made in these programs with regards to effective advocacy, leadership, and business growth.
We recognize the responsibility of every organization and individual to do what they can to contain the spread of the virus, and are mindful of how this virus is negatively impacting the hospitality industry at large, both from a well-being and economic standpoint. We are in contact with industry leaders as well as our partners and we are committed to working with chefs and others in the industry to navigate the complicated leadership challenges and the economic impact this pandemic may have on their businesses now and in the future.
Concerns about COVID-19 are having an impact on the hospitality industry. Take a look at some of the measures chefs around the country are implementing here.
Please continue to check www.jamesbeard.org for updated information.
