BOSTON — Ocean Spray announces the launch of The Cranberry Chef Collective, a culinary collaboration comprised of some of New England’s best chefs. The Collective connects the cooperative’s 700 family farmers to the New England culinary scene, fostering a strong farm-to-table culture in the region as part of Ocean Spray’s continued effort to transform the food system to a health and wellness system. The chefs chosen to be a part of the collaboration have passion for featuring local ingredients on their menus and strong farm-to-table roots.
The chefs in the Collective include:
– Will Gilson of Puritan & Company in Cambridge, MA
– Irene Lee of Mei Mei in Boston, MA
– Evan Mallet of Black Trumpet in Portsmouth, NH
– Cassie Piuma of Sarma in Somerville, MA
– Liam Luttrell Rowland of Spindler’s in Provincetown, MA
To kick off the Cranberry Chef Collective and ensue inspiration, the chefs visited one of Ocean Spray’s sixth-generation family farmers in Carver, MA to learn first-hand how cranberries are cared for and harvested before making it to the chefs’ kitchens. These chefs will now be updating their restaurant menus with cranberry-centric, nutritious recipes. The chefs came together last night for a tasting meal featuring cranberries in every course at Puritan & Company, the home of Chef Will Gilson, a member of the collective.
“By opening up our farms to these renowned chefs, we build a deeper connection within the culinary community and creatively craft year-round recipes featuring cranberries,” said Chris O’Connor, Vice President of Marketing at Ocean Spray. “Ocean Spray is a farmer-owned cooperative dedicated to connecting its farms to families, and chefs are a key connection between our farms and the families we reach.”
This holiday season, over 100 billion cranberries will be consumed, but the superfruit has benefits year-round. Moving forward, the chefs will continue to feature their signature cranberry-centric dishes on menus throughout the year.
Ocean Spray plans to recruit additional chefs to the collective, expanding beyond the New England region. The Cranberry Chef Collective hopes to foster relationships across the country between Ocean Spray’s family farmers and culinary influencers in each of its farmer communities.
