Named Top Event in New England for the Second Consecutive Year and Soon to air on the Food Network! Chowdafest started as a small local event ten years ago and quickly became a a New England sensation attracting acclaimed chef's from every New England State. Discerning foodies attending from the west coast to the east coast and almost everywhere in between. The high quality nature of the event has attracted both regional and national sponsors alike even The Food Network!
New England's #1 Culinary Competition! 40 restaurants from Manhattan to Maine come to Connecticut each year to compete New England's #1 culinary competition, Chowdafest, presented by Stop & Shop. Over 12,000 discernible foodies attend to be a judge and enjoy unlimited sampling of decadent chowders, soups and bisque in determining the best in New England. 3
Promoted to over 10 million People! Chowdafest is promoted to over 10 million people through TV, radio, print, outdoor, digital & social media plus Stop & Shop circulars! 4
Blue Chip Sponsors! Chowdafest is supported by almost 40 great corporations, many who are New England based and concerned about charitable outreach and food insecurity. They also participate in product sampling and report increased sales! 5
We re a Food Fight Against Food Insecurity! While renown chefs and award winning restaurants compete to be a Chowdafest champion, the real food fight is the battle to raise funds to alleviate hunger. Our fun raiser has now funded almost 1,500,000 meals through Food Rescue U.S. which is a 501c3 non-profit organization focused on eliminating hunger in the U.S. through rescuing food from grocery stores, farms and restaurants. 6
Discernible Foodies Crave Us! Over 12,000 discernible foodies annually attend: 85% are between ages 23-55 90% live within a 2-hour radius (MA, CT, RI, NY and NJ) Equal male/female ratio 96% indicate they feel very positively about charity events like Chowdafest 7
Award Winning Chefs/Restaurants! Just 40 restaurants are invited to compete in Chowdafest. Many of them are well recognized for their culinary and community contributions by the James Beard Foundation to nationally recognized media. They compete for multiple reasons: helping the fight against food insecurity, the financial impact of increased business, ego and the sheer fun of competing at this event. Every New England state is represented in our event. 8
Award Winning Volunteers! Chowdafest is the 2018 recipient of the Connecticut Governor's Tourism Volunteer(s) of the Year Award. Over 400 student athletes from Fairfield and Sacred Heart Universities are a contributing factor to our event's success. Demonstrating social responsibility while helping raise funds in the fight against food insecurity, these volunteers contribute to the the event's execution and adds to the great vibe of the event. 9
Just a Sample of Our Restaurant Roster! 10
A People s Choice Event! Chowdafest is a true people s choice event. Visitors sample unlimited chowder and soup from 40 restaurants stretching from Seattle to Maine. Attendees grade each entry on a scale or 7 to 10.5 with a half point intervals. Winners are determined by the highest average rating and announced upon the conclusion of the event. New in 2018 is the introduction of our electronic ballot! There are five categories of competition with 8 competitors in each: - Classic New England Clam Chowder - Traditional Chowder (Manhattan & Rhode Island chowders only) - Creative Chowder - Soup & Bisque - Vegetarian 11
The Complete Foodie Experience: Chowdafest rounds out the chowder and soup experience with themed food sections: Ciao-dafest: A taste of Italy with fresh artisan baked breads, sauces, salads and minestrone. ChowdaMex: A tasting of different salsas, chips and guacamole. The Beverage Bog presented by Ocean Spray: A centralized section to sample juice, tea, coffee yogurt drinks and sparkling beverages. Little Necks: An activity section where 'little necks' get FREE chef hats to decorate and kids activities directed by Kids Helping Kids. Sweet Treats: Sample farm fresh milk, ice cream, cheese, cookies, chips and more. 12
We re Kid and Family Friendly Kids are king at Chowdafest. From being able to vote to getting free chef hats to decorate and hugs from our mascot, kids rule. 13
It's a Shore Thing! Chowdafest is quintessentially New England and holds it's annual event at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport CT. The idyllic shoreline backdrop, it's own convenient exit off I-95 in the heart of Fairfield County with three lanes both in an out makes it an ideal venue especially as attendance increases every year.
We Support Farm Co-ops: Given the dairy nature of chowder, Chowdafest supports sustainable and local farm efforts. Many of our competing restaurants and sponsors actively support eating local and feature locally grown products from dairy to cheese and cranberry cooperatives. 15
A True Destination Event! AAA recognizes Chowdafest as a true destination event where people travel from all over New England and beyond to attend. We introduced the ChowdaTrail in 2016 to feature ONLY those restaurants in the current competition. This is the only such trail on the east coast and the number one trail in CT. It has created incremental restaurant visits throughout the year as well as incremental attendees with our Stay & Slurp hotel and ticket deal selling out our official hotel. Chowdafest contributes millions in tourism. 16
One of a Kind Trophies for a One of a Kind Event! We commission a New England artist to create unique nautical sculptures that we turn into trophies. These trophies are made from reclaimed materials found along the New England shoreline. We believe that these one-of-a-kind works of art reflect the culinary artistry by one-of-a-kind chefs! Our 2019 trophies will be on display with their own booth as part of the Lowe's Build an Appetite for Chowdafest promotion. 17
Celebrating our 11th year! Date: Sunday Sept. 30, 2018 Sherwood Island State Park in Westport CT Show hours: 11:00 am 3:00 pm Live awards presentation at 3:30 Ticket pricing: - $20 adults (AAA discount: $15) - $ 5 kids - 6-12 Kids under 6 are FREE 18
Promotion Calendar Kicks Off on May 24th Chowdafest will hold a VIP Meet & Eat Sneak Peak event on Thurs. May, 24, 2018 at Aitoro's Appliance Store featuring many restaurants new to the competition this fall. The event is limited to only 100 passionate foodies and the media. The evening includes a raw clam & oyster bar, cocktails including new cowtails from The Farmer's Cow, chowder, soup & bisque from the participating restaurants plus 27 National Award Winning pies from Michele's Pies. It will benefit Food Rescue US. 19
Restaurant Info Easy & Turnkey: Entry Fee is still just a $125 Event is limited to 40 total entries, 8 restaurants per category (5). We're exceptionally turnkey and organized We provide 10 x 10 tent, two 8 tables, cups, napkins, spoons etc. Options to heat your chowder or soup include gas, propane or sterno Soup: minimum of 50-60 gallons pending category You re included in all promotional efforts (radio, collateral, guide etc.) Table/Tent decorations are up to each restaurant. Mandatory restaurant/chef meeting to be scheduled to review event (approx. 8/26) We supply volunteers to help set up, serve and break down. We supply you with marketing materials to promote to your customers too! Jan. 2018 Chowdafest
Tentative Floor Plan: 21
Contact Us: Contact: Jim Keenan Event Director (203) 216-8452 Chowdafest@optonline.net www.chowdafest.org 22