For the first time ever, James Beard Awards will not name any winners
In an unprecedented move, the James Beard Foundation announced Thursday that it has canceled the awards that for 30 years have honored the nation’s top chefs and restaurants, citing the pandemiccaused disruption to the industry.
“The choice comes as restaurants continue to suffer the grave negative effects of COVID-19, and as substantial and sustained upheaval in the community has created an environment in which the foundation believes the assignment of Awards will do little to further the industry in its current uphill battle,” the foundation said in a statement.
Further, the foundation said, “The Awards’ usual positive impact on restaurants and chefs’ businesses will likely not be fully realized due to the current state of the industry, with many restaurants closed permanently or temporarily or operating at minimal capacity. These factors helped to inform the decision not to assign winners during a time of such turmoil.”
The foundation said it will devote its planned Sept. 25 broadcast to a celebration of the 2020 nominees and previous winners — and “shine a spotlight on the path forward for the industry.”
That path forward these moves:
• The JBF awards committees, consisting of volunteer members, “will work with the foundation and an outside social justice agency to overhaul the policies and procedures for the awards. includes
The objectives are to remove any systemic bias, increase the diversity of the pool of candidates, maintain relevance and align the awards more outwardly with the foundation’s values of equity, equality, sustainability and excellence for the restaurant industry.”
• The foundation will forgo a presentation in 2021 because those awards would have been based on performance during this tumultuous year.
• The foundation named Oakland entrepreneur Tanya Holland, chef-owner of Brown Sugar Kitchen and an author and podcast host, to the James Beard Awards Committee.
The 2020 awards cancellation comes just days after a Bay Area nominee for outstanding chef — David Kinch of the three-Michelin-starred Manresa in
Los Gatos — withdrew his name from the competition, saying the restaurant industry needed to rethink its future and address issues of wages and gender and racial inequalities.
Kinch was among the scores of finalists announced May 4 from a virtual ceremony. San Francisco chef Cory Lee of Benu was also a finalist in that chef category.
In a new category, best chef: California, four out of the five finalists were from San Francisco: Brandon Jew of Mister Jiu’s, Mourad Lahlou of Mourad, Joshua Skenes of Angler and Pim Techamuanvivit of Kin Khao.
Avery Ruzicka of Los Gatos’ Manresa Bread was named a finalist for outstanding baker, and Juan Contreras of San Francisco’s Atelier Crenn made the cut in the outstanding pastry chef category.
Chef de cuisine Gabby Maeda of San Francisco’s State Bird Provisions was among the finalists for rising star chef of the year, an award that goes to someone age 30 or younger “who displays exceptional talent, character and leadership ability, and who is likely to make a significant impact in years to come.”
Again, Northern California had dominated the category of outstanding wine, spirits or beer producer, with one Napa Valley winemaker — Cathy Corison of Corison Winery in St. Helena — and one distiller, Lance Winters of Alameda’s St. George Spirits, competing again.
In another repeat appearance, San Francisco’s Quince was a finalist for outstanding restaurant, an award that goes to “a national standard-bearer for consistent quality and excellence in food, atmosphere and service.”
Restaurants must have been in operation for at least 10 or more consecutive years to be considered for this title.
San Francisco’s Verjus, the Euro-chic wine bar and bistro from Michael and Lindsay Tusk of Quince, was a final contender in the best new restaurant category.
Lastly, in perhaps the most poignant category for these pandemic times, San Francisco’s La Cocina Executive Director Caleb Zigas had been in the running as of one five Leadership Honorees, a category that launched in 2010 to recognize visionaries for their work in creating a better food world.