The Culinary Guild of New England celebrates its 45th anniversary at Verrill Farm on September 20 with a reception followed by a panel moderated by former Boston Globe food editor and current contributor Sheryl Julian.
The panel of women culinary entrepreneurs includes:
- Ana Sortun, named best chef in the Northeast by the James Beard Foundation in 2005. Also the author of two books, Sortun is known for redefining Mediterranean cuisine in New England with ventures including Oleana, Sarma, and Sofra;
- Karen Collins, founder and owner of a thriving wholesale bakery, Bisousweet;
- Hadley Douglas, one of Inc. Magazine’s Top 100 Female Founders in 2020, who along with her husband founded The Urban Grape and Progressive Wine Company. The couple also founded The Urban Grape Wine Studies Award for Students of Color. The Urban Grape was named the 2021 U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year;
- Jen Verrill, who nurtured the local farm-to-table upon returning to the family farm in Concord after working in restaurants following college. Today, the Verrill Farmstand features New England specialty foods, fresh produce and flowers, gifts, prepared foods and homemade baked goods; and
- Dr. Kathryn Oh, a primary care physician for 30 years and the founder of Panbiotics, which merges culinary innovation with scientific research via food products that enhance health and well-being.
The event runs from 7-9 p.m. at Verrill Farm, 11 Wheeler Rd. Space is limited and early RSVP is suggested. Admission for non-members is $50 — of which $10 can be applied toward the organization’s $95 annual membership dues if one joins within two weeks of the event — and $40 for members. The deadline to purchase tickets is Wednesday, September 13.
Tickets are available at https://bit.ly/3sbsf5z. To become a member and receive the reduced rate, visit https://www.culinaryguild.org/new-member-application/. Membership includes discounts from the group’s culinary business partners; invitations to Guild events such as private cooking classes, demonstrations and dinners; bi-monthly e-newsletters; and access to the member directory.
The Guild was founded in 1979 — during a time of limited support for women in the culinary field — by a handful of mostly Boston-area female culinary professionals, including Sheryl Julian, cookbook authors Sara Moulton and Lora Brody, late Maison Robert owner Ann Robert, and Julia Child’s producer, Ruth Lockwood. Today, members of the volunteer-run Guild range from passionate home cooks and food aficionados to professional bakers, chocolatiers, caterers, restaurateurs, farmers and cheese makers.
