Kohler Food & Wine Festival Welcomes Global Culinary Icons - Scott Conant, Andrew Zimmern, Maneet Chauhan, Dominique Crenn - Local Legends, and More

News provided by

Jul 11, 2024, 08:00 ET

23rd edition of the refreshingly intimate festival offers exclusive access to event personalities and elevated luxury resort experiences amid the charming Village of Kohler, WI

KOHLER, Wis., July 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Kohler is proud to announce the headlining talent for this year's Kohler Food & Wine event including Scott Conant, Andrew Zimmern, Maneet Chauhan, Dominique Crenn, Ronnie Woo, Michael Hunter, and Jamika Pessoa. The Midwest's premier epicurean weekend kicks-off on Thursday, October 17, during the peak picturesque autumn season in Kohler, Wisconsin, adorned with vibrant fall colors and buzzing energy of the festival.

Food & Wine guests are invited to indulge in chef-led demos, unexpected tastings, and evening soirées – with unique opportunities to interact with top talent in up-close-and-personal settings.

"Kohler's focus on exceeding guest expectations is reflected throughout our tastefully curated festival, immersive event aesthetic, and a carefully crafted lineup of globally and locally renowned culinary talent," said Jenna Check, Associate Director of Special Events at Kohler.

Packages feature varying levels of access such as The Art of Good Taste Package with all-inclusive access to any event and a variety of VIP amenities. The Dominque Crenn Package and SCRIBE Package provide the only access to their intimate dinners.

Guests are encouraged to register in advance at Kohler Food & Wine to receive an alert on July 16 when packages go on sale, which historically sell out within hours. Remaining individual festival session event tickets go on sale July 23.

About the culinary talent:

Scott Conant – With a career spanning more than 35 years, a portfolio of acclaimed restaurants, cookbooks, television shows and an ever-expanding brand, Conant has established himself as one of the world's leading chefs. Conant is known to fans worldwide for his Food Network appearances, including his long-running role as a judge on Chopped for over a decade and frequent co-host on Beat Bobby Flay.
Andrew Zimmern – His third appearance at Kohler Food & Wine festival, Zimmern is a four-time James Beard Award and Emmy-winning TV personality, chef, food writer, activist and teacher. Zimmern first became known to audiences as the co-creator, executive producer and host of the Bizarre Foods franchise, and has devoted his life to exploring and promoting cultural acceptance, tolerance and understanding through food via television series such as MSNBC's What's Eating America, Magnolia Network's Emmy-nominated Family Dinner, Outdoor Channel's Wild Game Kitchen, the Emmy-winning The Zimmern List, and 2024's PBS docuseries, Hope in the Water, created in collaboration with renowned writer/producer David E. Kelley. Later this year, he will premiere Andrew Zimmern's Field to Fire.
Maneet Chauhan – Chauhan is an acclaimed author, TV personality, James Beard Award winner, and permanent judge on Food Network's Chopped. She is also the only two-time champion on Food Network's Tournament of Champions. She owns Chauhan Ale and Masala House in Nashville, Tennessee, and is actively involved in philanthropy – particularly in areas such as children's education, hunger relief, and women's empowerment. This marks her second appearance in Kohler.
Dominique Crenn - Crenn is the lone female chef in the U.S. with three Michelin stars (one of just 13 worldwide) for her San Francisco restaurant, Atelier Crenn. She also owns Bar Crenn, a 1-star Michelin experience featuring an immersive tasting menu alongside a swanky cocktail lounge focused on classic and innovative creations. She showcased her skills on TV, competing on The Next Iron Chef in 2009, winning against Michael Symon on Iron Chef America in 2010, and appearing as an Iron Chef on Netflix's Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend in 2022.
Ronnie Woo - His second appearance at Kohler Food & Wine festival, Woo is the executive chef of The Delicious Cook, a television personality, and author of the bestselling cookbook, Did You Eat Yet?. He is celebrated by fans and peers for his creative global cuisine and infectious enthusiasm for all things culinary.
Michael Hunter - Hunter by name and trade, Michael aka "The Hunter Chef" is an outdoorsman, forager, hunter, professional chef and cookbook author with close to three decades of expertise in a professional kitchen. Hunter is Chef and co-owner of Antler Kitchen and Bar in Toronto, Canada, which has received countless accolades locally, nationally, and more recently in the internationally acclaimed Michelin Guide. Hunter has also cooked at culinary festivals around the world including the United Arab Emirates, Australia, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Brazil.
Jamika Pessoa – A seasoned and classically-trained chef, Pessoa returns to Kohler Food & Wine Festival as Chef and Emcee for a second year running, bringing joy through her recipes while teaching us to embrace life to the fullest. As a culinary "triple threat" – Celebrity Chef, TV Host, and Influencer – she captivates audiences worldwide with her food and charismatic personality. Jamika's "Cooking Up Wins" philosophy combines cooking skills with life lessons to achieve success both in and out of the kitchen.
Arjav Ezekiel – Ezekiel brings a passion for good food and thoughtful, warm hospitality to Kohler's Food and Wine Festival 2024. Ezekiel is the Beverage Director and Co-Owner of Birdie's, an East Austin-based restaurant and wine bar that has received several accolades since its opening in 2021 under Ezekiel's guidance, including: Food & Wine's Restaurant of the Year in 2023 and Bon Appetit and Esquire's Best New Restaurants in America.

The esteemed lineup also features Kyle Knall, Joe Papach, Dan Fox, Chris Mangless, Adam Mariani, Allen Papp, Clément Renaud, Ivo Jeramaz, Jerome Legras, Joe Henry, John Williams, and Zak Miller.

The Bartolotta Restaurants is back at Kohler Food & Wine for a fourth year taking over one of the Culinary Stages for a full day, as well as a few additional signature events throughout the weekend.

Beyond the event itself, Destination Kohler has a wealth of activities to discover including championship golf at Whistling Straits (host of the 43^rd Ryder Cup in 2021); hiking, canoeing, kayaking, and exploring the 500-acre wilderness preserve at River Wildlife, art and design museums, and the five-star luxury of Kohler Waters Spa. The resort is located in the Village of Kohler, Wisconsin, one hour south of Green Bay, one hour north of Milwaukee and two and a half hours north of Chicago, just off of I-43.

For more information on festival programming, visit www.KohlerFoodandWine.com. Stay up to date on resort news and happenings on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Media Contacts:
Magrino PR
[email protected]

SOURCE Kohler Co.