Loaves & Fishes’ Taste of the Upstate returns on May 3.
The 30th annual event, presented by Samaritan Biologics, will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in downtown Greenville.
More than a dozen Upstate chefs will compete for six coveted awards, including this year’s Traditions with a Twist Award. The new award will be presented to the chef who successfully adds a unique twist to a traditional family recipe. The other awards include:
- Best Sweet Dish Award
- Best Savory Dish Award
- Best Tablescape Award
- People’s Choice Award
- John DeJong Award for Overall Culinary Excellence
Chefs returning to the competition include Stephen Gossett of Social Latitude, Deborah Bouts of Sun Belly Café, Salome Hines of Salome’s Philippine Cuisine, Papi Bistro of Ink’d Chef, Brandon Hobbs of Furman University’s Bon Appetit Management Company, Claudia Amézquita of Luna Café, Tania Cienfuegos Harris of Azucar Skull, Eugena Talley of The Herbal Farmercy, Boom Boom of Boom Boom’s Meal Prep, Mackenzie Cross and Makesha from Carmella’s Café & Desert Bar and Eddie Wiles of Levy at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
New chefs joining this year’s competition are Aquila Mone of the Tasti Plate, Zackary Owens of Moultrie Southern Cuisine & Spirits and Cima Mathur of Persis Indian Grill & Bar.
Taste of the Upstate attracts over 300 attendees each year to raise funding for the Loaves & Fishes mission to reduce food insecurity in Greenville County. The local nonprofit organization rescues surplus food to redistribute it to partner agencies that help those in need.
Tickets are on sale for $75.
For more information, visit werescuefood.org/taste-of-the-upstate.
