COCHON555 RELEASES 2018 FIVE COMPETING CHEF LINEUP
NEW YORK CITY TO HOST REGIONAL CULINARY COMPETITION
Cochon555’s Competition Will Feature Top Chefs, Best Barkeeps and Sommeliers to Benefit Charity
NEW YORK CITY (December 20, 2017) — Cochon555, the nation’s most talked about premium food, wine and spirit celebration and live-event series, is back in New York City on January 21 at SECOND floor. The all-inclusive feast will feature a hundred-plus prominent chefs, farmers, sommeliers, distillers, brewers and barkeeps all working in concert to create luxurious moments that educate the palate. At the heart, Cochon555 aims to create moments of inspiration, and to engender discussion and action – to buy, to cook, shop and donate in the name of safe, honest, and delicious food. For an in-depth look at the distinguished providers behind the Cochon555 movement, to share a video, and to purchase tickets, please visit https://cochon555.com/us-tour/2018-nyc.
Cochon555 is proud to announce this year’s group of cutting-edge chefs from across the city, each cooking one whole heritage breed pig raised by a family farm. The competing chefs include Bryan Hunt of Temple Court, Marc Murphy of Benchmarc Restaurants, Fabian Gallardo of La Esquina, Matt Abdoo of Pig Beach and Ginger Pierce alongside Preston Matson of Jams by Jonathan Waxman. One week before the event, each chef receives a 200-pound heritage breed pig sustainably sourced from DeBragga, New York’s Butcher®, Dogpatch Farm, Heritage Foods USA, The Piggery, and Autumn’s Harvest Farm to create a maximum of 6 dishes for competition. With dozens of bites from iconic local chefs, boutique distillers, and artisan winemakers, the event is akin to an epic tasting menu of heritage breed pork with endless beverage pairings taken standing up.
To win the friendly competition for a cause, a chef’s menu must woo twenty celebrity judges with their “Judge’s Plate” scored on utilization; technique; and overall flavor and be voted “best bite of the day” by guests. The winning “Prince or Princess of Pork”, New York City will advance to the national finale, Grand Cochon, a head-to-tail, winner-takes-all showdown for the crown in Chicago on September 30th. Additionally, running in tandem are two satellite beverage competitions to complement the whole-animal tilt; Punch Kings, a whole bottle, large-format spirit competition featuring five top barkeeps in a hand-crafted punch challenge and Somm Smackdown, a face-off of five top sommeliers pairing the best wine with heritage pig.
Placing the spotlight on “knowing where your food comes from”, each event features an educational whole animal butchery program called the Pop-Up Butcher Shop and Silent Auction to benefit charity. This year’s headlining all-star butchers are Erika Nakamura and Jocelyn Guest from White Gold Butchers. Together with gifts from chefs, sponsors and John Boos & Co., they will raise money to benefit Piggy Bank, a start-up farm in Missouri that serves as a kickstarter for new family farms and a safety net for those in the wake of a disaster (flood, fire and disease). As an accelerator, Piggy Bank supplies piglets to small farms in exchange for business plans that are posted online in the name of a transparent “open-source agriculture”.
The ultimate aim of Cochon555 is to provide education to chefs and consumers and create experiences that guests can sink their teeth into: honest food from real farmers. The goal is to raise the bar on building a sustainable and profitable relationship for brands and chefs participating in culinary festivals.
Tickets for general admission start at $130; VIP tickets (early admission + exclusive access to cocktail competition and allocated wines and spirits) are $200.
Where: SECOND Floor. 849 6th Avenue New York, NY 10001
When: Sunday, January 21
Time: 4 p.m. for VIP entry, 5 p.m. for General Admission
“We’re incredibly excited to return to New York City during our 2018 tour,” says Cochon555 founder Brady Lowe. “The tour is about uplifting small, family farmers through epic culinary moments. We create and restore connections between the farmer and chef who want to raise, source and serve food raised with purpose and passion. Together, through eating, we become stewards of the good food movement, motivating change and celebrating ‘landscapers’ who lead us to a safer and more delicious future.”
Communal feasting is an integral part of the culinary fabric at Cochon555; the events are theaters for innovative spirit, wine, and cocktail experiences — all in, we’re talking about 1,500 pounds of responsibly raised heritage breed pork and dozens of delicious drinks from some of the best bars in New York City. The Welcome Lounge features punches featuring Buffalo Trace and our signature Cheese Bar featuring Schuman Cheese and Cypress Grove. Sip sparklers from Dry Soda and Topo Chico, a signature Gin Experience presented by Monkey 47; and The Manhattan Project features premium ryes, bourbon and whiskeys topped with Luxardo cherries. Learn about pairings at the TarTare Bar aligned to the wines of Antica Napa Valley, Rosé from Whispering Angel paired with organic pates from Three Little Pigs, and a culinary spotlight featuring the racy white Wines of Germany. Guests wanting a sweet bite will enjoy the Pop-Up Pie Shop presented by Mike’s Pies and Innovative Desserts spotlighting notable pastry chefs working with Perfect Puree of Napa Valley.
About the Cochon555 US Tour
The Cochon555 US Tour executes a yearly host of authentic, hyper-local food events focused on raising awareness for heritage breed pigs through an innovative nose-to-tail pig cooking competition. This epic pork feast visits 15 major cities in North America annually. The tour is comprised of an array of live expressions and cultivates a long-term impact for heritage species. Both educational and inspirational messages are circulated among 16,000 guests; 2,200+ chefs; 150+ family farms; and culinary schools each year. Since 2009, 108,000+ consumers have experienced heritage pork for the first time, more than $1,100,000 has been donated to charities, and over $1,200,000 has been paid directly to our farmers. For more information, visit www.cochon555.com or follow @cochon555 on Twitter and Instagram.
About Piggy Bank
Launched in 2015, Piggy Bank is creating a farming sanctuary for heritage breed pigs, many of which are endangered. Piggy Bank will provide genetics and access to shared business plans for raising heritage pigs to emerging family farms. Piggy Bank aims to change the future of food by creating a community in which small farmers can learn about safer, more responsible practices and share genetics, livestock, and the very information needed to thrive as small businesses. Piggy Bank is building a model of socially responsible agricultural transparency. Piggy Bank proudly operates as a project of the Trust for Conservation Innovation, a 501(c)3 tax-exempt nonprofit organization which accelerates impact for initiatives focused on protecting and fostering a healthy, sustainable, resilient, and equitable world. For more information or to donate, visit www.piggy-bank.org or follow @PiggyBankOrg on Twitter. Watch the video http://j.mp/PIGGY_BANK.
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