About FOOD+
Our Mission
FOOD+Culture Festival’s mission is to celebrate the Magic City’s dynamic culinary industry with events that highlight epicurean Birmingham. Through our annual food event, we provide a platform – a table – where people come together to learn about our region’s rich culture, experience all our city has to offer, and discuss issues of deeper cultural significance.
Whether we’re celebrating with dinners, festivities, chef demos, discussions, or parties, the FOOD+Culture Festival remains dedicated to equity, the arts, sustainability, and community growth. We are committed to all forms of the culinary arts, with passion in equal parts reverence for tradition and excitement for innovation.
The Team Behind FOOD+Culture
FOOD+Culture has been established by local community leaders dedicated to building a better Birmingham and propelling us forward via a platform focused on food and the dynamic, diverse cultures found here. FOOD+Culture is a §501(c)(3) non-profit organization established by Sloss Real Estate, The Market at Pepper Place, FRED Communication by Design, the International Association of Culinary Professionals, and other champions of Birmingham who collectively seek innovative and exciting ways to grow our community and opportunity for our citizens.
Cathy Sloss Jones
President
CEO, Sloss Real Estate
Leigh Sloss-Corra
Vice-President
Executive Director, The Market at Pepper Place
Chapter President, Les Dames d’Escoffier
John Pickering
Legal Advisor
Attorney, Balch & Bingham LLPPresident
Cheryl Slocum
Community & Food Advisor
Food writer, Senior Food Editor Dotdash Meredith Publishing
Chanda Temple
Community & Food Advisor
Sr. Project Manager, City of Birmingham Mayor’s Office
Valerie Thomas
Community Advisor/Liaison
CEO, The VAL Group
Staff
Keri Lane
Rebecca Gann
Nina Sloss
Gena Berry
Jennie Fisher
Erin Hill
Production & Marketing Director I Sponsorships
Programming Director
Administrative Director I Sponsorship Coordinator
Culinary Logistics
Public Relations
Social Media
The Festival
A major annual food festival in Birmingham, Alabama, FOOD+Culture Festival launched with a “reveal party” in October 2022. The inaugural festival took place in 2023, earning no. 3 “Best New Festival” by USA TODAY 10Best.
FOOD+Culture Festival returns for its second year September 19-22, 2024, featuring 5 signature events spanning over 4 days, plus 10+ guest chef dinners at restaurants all over the city, and more than 80 invited featured chefs, mixologists, brewers and more. Events will take place at Pepper Place, Sloss Furnaces, and other venues around town.
Our Values
FOOD+Culture Festival strives to:
Celebrate Birmingham’s dynamic culinary community with dinners, festivities, and special events that highlight our city’s food, flavors, and culinary journey.
Celebrate equity, Birmingham’s heritage and what it has become today.
Serve as a platform–a table–where people from all backgrounds can come together to celebrate and learn more about our city’s diverse epicurean landscape.
Provide opportunities to discuss and bring issues of deeper cultural significance to light
Shine a spotlight on Birmingham and the abundance of culinary talent here and in Alabama overall.
Bring local and national talent together for rare and exciting opportunities to collaborate and create unique culinary experiences and memories.
Create opportunity and economic growth for the region.
Get involved
Major partners of the weekend include the State of Alabama Tourism Department I Sweet Home Alabama, The Birmingham Convention and Visitor’s Bureau I INBirmingham, Southern Living Magazine, Alabama Humanities Alliance, and the International Association of Culinary Professionals with others joining us daily.
We are currently seeking sponsors for the different event and activations. If you would like to get more information about becoming a 2024 sponsor, please contact Keri Lane (Keri@bhamfoodplus.com).
To learn more about getting involved as featured talent or having your restaurant host one of our dinners, please contact: Rebecca Gann (rebecca@bhamfoodplus.com).
Please note, talent participation is invite-only, and there are limited chef spots, and specific event thematics each year. While we would love to include all of our city and region’s amazing talent, we simply cannot, however the roster and programming will change and evolve year to year. For anyone who cannot participate in 2024, be on the lookout for new opportunities and exciting events coming in 2025!