Salamander Hotels & Resorts is partnering with Food & Wine to debut a four-day event that celebrates diversity in hospitality. The event—called The Family Reunion—is currently scheduled for August 2021 and will feature exclusive cooking demonstrations and meals with top culinary talent and wine tastings hosted by renowned sommeliers. The Family Reunion will be co-hosted by chef and author Kwame Onwauchi and Sheila Johnson, founder of Salamander Hotels & Resorts and the BET Network. It’s all happening August 19 to August 22, 2021 at the Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, Virginia.
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On Salamander Hotel’s 340 acres, guests of The Family Reunion will delve into Black cooking traditions at the on-site cooking studio and culinary garden. And some of the most celebrated names in the food and beverage industry are slated to be there; ever-accoladed chef Mashama Bailey, who just released her co-authored book Black, White, and The Grey in January 2021, chef and TV personality Carla Hall of Top Chef fame, and James Beard Award winner Eduordo Jordan are just a few of the chefs coming to The Family Reunion. And, of course, host Onwauchi carries a number of awards himself, with a James Beard Award, Forbes’ 30 Under 30 recognition, and his stint on Top Chef. Johnson, on the other hand, brings her business fortitude to the event and her hotelier experience as a self-made founder and CEO of a five-star hotel chain. And on the wine side, tastings will be held with wine talent like Napa’s celebrated master sommelier Carlton McCoy.
Overall, the four-day event held in collaboration with Food & Wine intends to celebrate racial and ethnic diversity in hospitality, with a specific focus on nurturing the rising stars of the industry.
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“We should be doing everything in our power to celebrate diversity in our industry,” said Onwuachi in a statement released to Departures. “For too long we have gone unnoticed and under-appreciated. This is our time.”
Tickets for The Family Reunion in August will be available for purchase beginning in April. As we draw closer to tickets being released, there will be more details about the four-day event’s programming, as well as resort packages to choose from.
