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South Carolina Chef Ambassadors to serve second year

Staff Report //January 14, 2021//

South Carolina Chef Ambassadors to serve second year

Staff Report //January 14, 2021//

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The 2020 class of South Carolina Chef Ambassadors will serve a second year after the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed hospitality events.

The program, established in 2014, promotes the state as a culinary destination, highlighting talented chefs, creative recipes, authentic cuisine and locally grown produce.

Gov. Henry McMaster, the S.C. Department of Agriculture and the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism decided to extend the ambassadorship of four state chefs selected last year.

“Our Chef Ambassadors help us learn about our culinary heritage and promote Certified South Carolina,” S.C. Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers said in a news release. “Now more than ever, it’s crucial that South Carolinians and visitors support the state’s chefs and the local farmers they rely on.”

The four Chef Ambassadors, from Aiken, Charleston, Myrtle Beach and Sumter, represented the state in 2020 at the Charleston Wine + Food festival, Upstate food festival Euphoria and the South Carolina Congressional Cup. Many other appearances, however, were limited or canceled.

“The Chef Ambassadors program has helped us promote South Carolina as a must-visit culinary destination with authentic cuisine, locally grown products and distinctive tastes,” Duane Parrish, SCPRT director, said. “We plan to deliver the same appeal in 2021 when the program resumes.”

South Carolina’s Chef Ambassadors are: 

  • Chef Kevin Mitchell, chef instructor, Culinary Institute of Charleston
  • Chef Raffaele Dall’Erta, executive chef, Hamptons, Sumter
  • Chef Jason Tufts, executive chef, Malia’s, Aiken
  • Chef Jamie Daskalis, executive chef, Johnny D’s Waffles and Benedicts, Myrtle Beach

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