Host
Gretchen VanEsselstyn
Gretchen VanEsselstyn has been the director of education at the Specialty Food Association for eight years, helping to launch hundreds of specialty food brands along the way. She has received a James Beard Award Nomination in Culinary Journalism; a first place trophy in the National Pork Board Editor’s Recipe Contest; and a Table 4 Writers Foundation Award in memory of Elaine Kaufman for her short story, “Flour, Butter, Lemon, Heat,” and got to dance with Tony Danza and Dr. Ruth Westheimer at the award reception. A former magazine editor and line cook, she is also a Qualified Teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and a strong advocate for mental health in the food industry.