The not-so-sweet side of the food world—mental health, substance abuse—is something that professionals are addressing during the Food & Wine Classic.
The restaurant industry hasn’t been immune from national issues like gender equality and mental health; high-profile examples include Mario Batali’s exit from the food world after admitting to sexual misconduct and Anthony Bourdain’s suicide just days before the Food & Wine Classic last year. Food & Wine’s editor-in-chief, Hunter Lewis, is doing something about it. Enter F&W Pro, a business content hub for people working in the industry. Besides stories and podcasts revolving around restaurant industry news, Food & Wine will produce an annual list of “Great Restaurants to Work For,” honoring those that have strong workplace cultures, including health benefits, maternity leave and mental health counseling. Lewis says F&W Pro is a “much-needed resource” given sweeping cultural changes, and he cites restaurateur Jonathan Waxman as a mentor of his. “We expect [this] to spark a new conversation among discerning restaurant customers to think as much about the people serving their food as they do about where the ingredients come from.” He’ll address the initiative during the Food & Wine Classic. June 14-16
Photography by: c2 photography
