South Carolina recently announced its new class of 2025 SC Chef Ambassadors and Ag Commissioner Hugh Weathers is here to tell us more about them and the program.
Commissioner:
- Now in its 11th year, the South Carolina Chef Ambassador program launched in 2014, unifying the major industries of tourism and agriculture, which collectively contribute tens of billions of dollars to the state’s economy and account for hundreds of thousands of jobs statewide.
- Each year, our South Carolina Chef Ambassadors come from a variety of restaurants and backgrounds, but they all have one thing in common: They use farm-fresh food grown in South Carolina.
- Chef Ambassadors represent the state through food festivals and other promotional opportunities, sharing South Carolina’s culinary traditions, agricultural heritage, and undiscovered places with the world. They support our state’s farmers by using Certified South Carolina produce, meats, dairy, seafood, and other farm-fresh foods.
- Chefs are appointed by the Governor, and the program is run through a collaborative effort between the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism (SCPRT) and the South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA).
- Farm and ranch families make up less than 2% of the US population.
- Farmers are the backbone of South Carolina, but many people don’t know a farmer and don’t know much about where their food comes from.
- Despite that disconnect, agriculture is a huge economic driver in South Carolina, contributing $51.8 billion a year to our economy and employing 260,000 people.
- Through our Certified South Carolina branding program and with the help of the Chef Ambassadors, we shine a spotlight on South Carolina farms and the people behind them.
- This year’s class is:
- Chef Jeanne Koenigsberg, Executive Chef and Kitchen General Manager at the Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery in Greenville.
- Chef Darren Smith of Rivertown Bistro and Bonfire Taqueria in Conway.
- Chef Shuai Wang of Jackrabbit Filly and King BBQ in North Charleston.
- I always try to visit these chefs each year in their restaurants and it is wonderful to see them in their elements with their customers doing what they love to do.