James Beard Foundation's Summer-Long 'Blended Burger Project™' Competition Puts Trendy Mushroom + Meat* Burgers on Menus Nationwide

NEW YORK, May 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Restaurants nationwide this summer are making great burgers even better as part of the James Beard Foundation's annual Blended Burger Project™. Now in its fourth year, the healthy competition challenges chefs to blend mushrooms with meat* for burgers that are more delicious, nutritious and sustainable.

Now through July 31, customers can visit participating restaurants to try a blended burger and vote for their favorites online.

In August, a panel of judges including Andrew Zimmern, James Beard Award-winning TV personality; Susan Westmoreland, Culinary Director, Good Housekeeping; and, Antoinette Brown, CEO & Editor-in-Chief, StarChefs.com, will review the 20 restaurants with the most online votes. The top five winning restaurants will then be selected based on the most creative use of mushrooms, best flavor profile and presentation – and earn a trip to the prestigious James Beard House in New York for a special Blended Burger Project celebration dinner this fall.

Since the Blended Burger Project launched three summers ago, nearly 1,000 restaurants have taken part in the competition by blending mushrooms with meat* using a 25/75 percent ratio. Consumers have collectively voted more than two million times for their favorite entries.

To take part, consumers can:

• Visit a participating restaurant (listed at jamesbeard.org/blendedburgerproject/participants).
• Vote for their favorite burger at jamesbeard.org/blendedburgerproject/vote.
• Cast your vote for a chance to win an expense paid trip for two to the 2018 Blended Burger Project celebration event this fall at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City.**

*Or other protein, see Official Contest Rules for details.

**No purchase necessary. Ends at 11:59:59 PM ET on 7/31/18. Visit jamesbeard.org/blendedburgerproject to view Official Rules, including eligibility requirements, judging criteria to cast your vote and the list of participating restaurants.

About the James Beard Foundation
The James Beard Foundation's mission is to celebrate, nurture, and honor chefs and other leaders making America's food culture more delicious, diverse, and sustainable for everyone. For more than 30 years the Foundation has accomplished this mission through programs that highlight food's central role in our lives. In addition to hosting guest-chef dinners throughout the year at the historic James Beard House in New York City, the Foundation administers the James Beard Awards; grants scholarships for culinary students; produces national events that include our Taste America tour; and creates educational programs for the culinary community and food lovers. The Foundation addresses the growing challenges facing our food system through its Impact Programs, which include the Leadership Awards; Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change; Issue Summits; and Culinary Labs. Industry issues, such as gender imbalance and diversity in culinary leadership, are addressed through our Industry Programs. For more information, please visit jamesbeard.org and follow @beardfoundation on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

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SOURCE James Beard Foundation

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http://www.jamesbeard.org