[Updated: 3/22 with winners]
Slow Food Charleston is organizing an inaugural Snail Awards program to recognize leaders in the community that support the Slow Food movement. The event, set for Monday, March 21 from 6:00 to 9:00pm will take place at The American Theater.
For the event, there will be an awards ceremony that will announce the winners of the following award categories—The Activist, The Provider, The Artist (food & beverage categories), The Snailblazer, and The Place. There is also an award for The Legend ,which will be presented to Chef Mike Lata of FIG and The Ordinary, who was one of the original founders of the Slow Food Charleston chapter and is a starch advocate of supporting local foodways. Lata will receive a custom trophy by Robert Thomas. Winners will receive a custom Le Creuset Dutch Oven with a custom snail knob crafted by Robert Morris. The Snailblazer will receive a $1,000 cash prize.
Finalists and winners were chosen by a panel of esteemed judges including:
- Dr. David Shields, University of South Carolina, Slow Food Southeast Ark of Taste Committee Chair
- Stephanie Burt, The Southern Fork
- Jed Portman, Garden & Gun
- Patricia Agnew, Culinary Institute of Charleston
- Vanessa Driscoll Bialobreski, Farm to Table Event Co,
- Caitlin Etherton, Community activist
-
Mike Lata, FIG/The Ordinary
The 2016 Snail Awards Finalists in each of the following categories are:
- The Activist:
An individual or organization that is a spokesperson or voice for the Slow Food mission.- Germaine Jenkins, Fresh Future Farm
- Nikki Seibert, DirtWorks Incubator Farm
- WINNER: Charleston County Green Waste Program
- The Provider:
A producer or provider of food at the most basic level.- Kerry & Mark Marhefka, Abundant Seafood
- WINNER: Celeste Albers, Green Grocer
- Greg Johnsman, Geechie Boy
- The Artist:
An individual or business that is using refined skill with locally, sustainably soured ingredients to provide for the community. One winner will be recognized for work with food and another for work with beverage.- Food
- Josh Walker, Xiao Bao Biscuit
- Chris Stewart, Glass Onion
- WINNER: Craig Diehl, Cypress/Artisan Meat Share
- Beverage
- WINNER: High Wire Distilling
- COAST Brewing
- Cannonborough Beverage Company
- Food
- The Place:
A business that adheres to Slow Food principles in terms of its business practices and philosophies.- Wild Olive/The Obstinate Daughter
- WINNER: Grow Food Carolina
- Neighborhood Dining Group
- The SnailBlazer:
The publicly-nominated award for an individual who is making strides in their own field to positively impact the Charleston community.- Chris Wilkins, Roots Baking Company
- WINNER: Germaine Jenkins, Fresh Future Farm
- Nikki Seibert, Lowcountry Local First
- Kate DeWitt & Lindsey Barrow, Lowcountry Street Grocery
- Frasier Block & Blue Laughters, Johns Island Farmers Market
- Dr. Stephanie Zgraggen, Lime and Lotus Healing Center
- Ann Marshall & Scott Blackwell, High Wire Distilling
A celebration of the winners will follow the ceremony featuring dishes by chefs Kevin Mitchell of the Culinary Institute of Charleston, Nico Romo of FISH, Lauren Mitterer of WildFlour, Jason Stanhope of FIG and Jacques Larson of Wild Olive & The Obstinate Daughter, and John Fleer of Rhubarb in Asheville, North Carolina.
Beverages will be provided by High Wire Distilling, COAST Brewing, Westbrook Brewing and Vicario wines. McCarus Beverage Company is providing a toast to the winners to kick off the celebration of the awards. Entertainment will be by The V-Tones.
Tickets are $80 per person for members, and $90 per person for nonmembers and can be purchased at www.snailawardschs.com.
