2015 James Beard Foundation Awards to be hosted by Alton Brown

On March 5, 2015 the James Beard Foundation announced that the famous chef and television personality Alton Brown will be hosting this year’s James Beard Foundation Awards. These awards honor individuals in the food industry that have made great contributions to culinary advancement, from chefs and restaurateurs to cookbook authors and TV personalities.

The host 
Alton Brown, a former culinary academy student, was the critically-acclaimed writer, producer and host of The Food Network’s “Good Eats” for 13 years. Since then, he has been a part of “Iron  Chef America,” “The Next Iron Chef,” “Cutthroat Kitchen” and other food-related shows. He is known for his cooking skills and fun, interesting personality. The chef is currently writing a series on his blog called “AB Road Eats,” where he chronicles the many foods and drinks that he enjoys while traveling the country. He doesn’t just stop in big towns with well-known eateries, Brown is careful to check out places loved by locals and foodies alike. The chef also runs the Alton Browncast, a podcast where he interviews interesting people. He doesn’t stop at talking with culinary-minded people, Brown likes to talk with anyone he finds unique, like George Peterson, the Director of Dive Programs at the Moneterey Bay Aquarium, and Adam Savage of the show “Mythbusters.” The famous chef and TV personality is not stranger to the James Beard Foundation. He was the recipient of a James Beard Award for Outstanding Television Host in 2011.

The awards
The 25th annual ceremony and gala is set to take place on May 4, 2015 at the Lyric Opera in Chicago. In attendance will be some of the greatest chefs in America, including Jimmy Bannos, Jr. (The Purple Pig in Chicago), David Chang (Momofuku in New York City), Jennifer Jasinski (Rioja in Denver), Vikram Sunderam (Rasika in Washington, D.C) and more.

The award nominees will be released on March 24, during a breakfast at the James Beard House.