The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County has announced the 4th Annual Fork & Cork Classic will be held 3-6 p.m. Sunday, May 7, at Fess Parker Doubletree Resort, 633 E. Cabrillo Blvd., Santa Barbara.
Food and wine enthusiasts can enjoy tastings from an array of Santa Barbara’s best culinary artists and vintners all in support of the Foodbank and its mission to end hunger and transform the health of the community through healthy meals and nutritional education.
“The Foodbank provides nutritional support for one in four Santa Barbara County residents each year, and the annual Fork & Cork Classic is an important event that helps us do that,” siad Erik Talkin, Foodbank CEO.
“Attendees can enjoy premium wines and gourmet dishes with the knowledge that the proceeds go towards feeding the hungry in our community,” Talkin said.
This year’s Fork & Cork Classic will honor Jasper & Brook Eiler, owners of Harvest Santa Barbara; Archie McLaren, founder of the Central Coast Wine Classic; and Jessica Foster of Jessica Foster Confections.
They are being recognized for the contributions they’ve made toward advancing their respective crafts, as well as their efforts to support the local community, including the Foodbank.
Through the Central Coast Wine Classic, founder and chairman McLaren has shared the region’s wine with a world audience. The Central Coast Wine Classic has raised more than $2.5 million to help nonprofit organizations in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, including Foodbank.
For Foster, food and community go hand-in-hand. Foster is a longstanding Foodbank supporter, and has distinguished herself and her business by contributing her time and chocolates to many Santa Barbara nonprofit organizations.
Brook and Jasper Eiler work with Central Coast farmers to provide local, sustainably grown produce to everyone from restaurant chefs to children eating lunch in school cafeterias. The Eilers’ donations of healthy produce to the Foodbank are shared with people countywide.
In addition to tastings from top chefs, restaurants and winemakers in the county, the Fork & Cork Classic will feature games and a silent auction that benefits the Foodbank’s work to provide healthy meals to thousands of food-insecure children, families and seniors in our community.
The Foodbank thanks the following chefs, restaurants, wineries and beverage vendors for their culinary donations:
Wildwood Kitchen, Bar 29, Finch & Fork, Outpost at The Goodland, Santa Barbara Creamery, Caribbean Coffee Company, Fess Parker Doubletree Resort, Chocolats du CaliBressan, Jessica Foster Confections, Chef Edi Robertson, the Lark, and Scratch Bar & Kitchen.
Also, Zaca Mesa Winery & Vineyards, Island Brewing Company, Bragg Live Food Products, Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards, Kitá Wines, The Sanger Family of Wines, Beckmen Vineyards, Turiya Wines, Falcone Family Vineyards, Ascendant Spirits, and Teeccino Brewing Company.
And, DV8 Cellars LLC, Presqu’ile Winery, Whitcraft Winery, Nielson Winery, Cambria Winery, and Grassini Family Vineyards.
The Foodbank recognizes sponsors of the event:
Platinum Spoon: Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation and Cox Communications.
Gold Spoon: Frank Schipper Construction, NightOut, Eric Roland Photography, Water With Life, Cutler’s Artisan Spirits, and The Good Lion.
Silver Spoon: Zeeblu, Arlington Financial, Green Hills Software, FastSpring, Samy’s Camera, Courtland-Dane Management Group, Cultivate Events, V3 Printing, and Bill’s Copy Shop
Thanks also to the 4th Annual Fork & Cork Classic planning committee:
Erwin Villegas, Kristin Van Ramshorst, Bradley Martin, Michael Blackwell, Mossin Sugich, Todd Atkins, Irene Hoffman, Katie Hershfelt, Erynn Wanek, Leslie Velez, Quinsi Newell, Catherine Wastweet, David Moorman, Kelly Johnson, Ursula Santana, Yuki York and Kris Albert.
Tickets are $95 for general admission and $125 for VIP. VIP tickets grant holders an earlier entry time of 2:30 p.m. and access to the VIP lounge. Tickets can be purchased online here.
For more information on the Foodbank, visit www.foodbanksbc.org.
— Carrie Cooper for Foodbank of Santa Barbara County.