The Big Stir Festival Honors Local Female Culinary Leaders

Photos courtesy of Jessica Noelke at Blush and Bee Photography

The Colorado Chapter of philanthropic organization Les Dames d’Escoffier International’s The Big Stir Festival will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2024,  at the Tivoli Center Turnhalle Room on the Auraria Campus in downtown Denver. The Big Stir honors women making an impact in Colorado’s food, beverage and hospitality industries by championing philanthropy, diversity, sustainability and education.

Attendees can expect a fun, interactive and educational festival with wine, spirits and food tastings from Les Dames d’Escoffier Colorado Leadership Award winners and sponsors, as well as educational wine and spirit seminars, including Grain to Bottle Distilling, from Elevation 5003 Distillery owner and distiller Loren Matthews; and Unveiling the Stories Behind Portuguese Wines, presented by Evaton fine wine specialist Anita Musi.

New to this year’s event, a wellness area with the Lo & No Lounge by Connect for Health Colorado will offer attendees zero-proof beverages and a zen atmosphere, featuring Zero Proof Bar from award winning beverage professional Alex Jump; Drag Queen Comedy Set with Denver-based comedian and drag queen Dr. Zackarina Jenny-hoe (not a doctor!); a Tai Chi Master Demo led by champion Grand Master Clarke; and Mushroom Minute, a 10-minute deep dive into medicinal mushrooms with chef and cultural anthropologist Shadi Ramey of Vital Fungi.

The festival takes place from 2-5 p.m., with a VIP hour starting at 1 p.m. General admission tickets are $65 (with a limited time early bird discount of just $55), and tickets with the VIP-early access inclusion are $95; tickets are available here. Attendees must be 21 years of age or older.

By honoring Colorado’s leading women of food, beverage and hospitality, the event and organization as a whole aims to raise scholarship dollars to support more women joining these industries. Part of its ongoing mission, Les Dames d’Escoffier International Colorado Chapter has awarded more than $20,000 in scholarship dollars to aspiring female culinary professionals over the course of more than a decade, with a minimum of $5,000 in scholarships awarded each year.

The 2024 Les Dames d’Escoffier Colorado Leadership Award winners include:

• Agriculture Leader – Kena Guttridge, Farmer, Ollin Farms
• Alcohol Beverage Leader – Talia Haykin, Founder/CEO, Haykin Family Cidery
• Bakery Leader – Thoa Nguyen, Chef/Owner, Bánh & Butter Bakery Café
• Chef Leader – Caroline Glover, Owner, Annette Scratch to Table and Traveling Mercies
• Community Leaders – Megan Moore and Serena Sakkal, Project Managers, Pueblo Food Project
• Food Journalist Leader – Patricia Kaowthumrong, Food Editor, 5280 Magazine
• Food Manufacturing Leader – Beth Conrey, Founder, Bee Squared Apiaries
• Mixologist Leader – Saydee Canada, General Manager, Williams & Graham
• Non-Alcohol Beverage Leader – Frewyni Beyene, Founder, Endless Grind Coffee
• Sommelier Leader – Sally Stewart, Co-Owner, Denver Wine Merchant

“Our Chapter is proud to honor and celebrate these inspiring women,” says Megan Bucholz, president of Les Dames d’Escoffier Colorado. “Even better, while doing so, we’re able to provide financial support to a new generation of women seeking to grow in these industries. We couldn’t do this without our generous sponsors and community support.”

The presenting sponsor of The Big Stir Festival is The Culinary Creative Group; other sponsors include Connect for Health Colorado, Nestlé, Applejack Wine & Spirits, B Public Relations, Pernod Ricard USA, Barolo Grill, Constellation Brands, Dim Lights Hospitality, Foley Family Wines, The Fort Restaurant, Frasca Hospitality Group, Le French, Nimrod Wines, Prairie Organic Spirits, Dimond Family Foundation and Ellen Daehnick.