Event Report: Holiday Prelude 2022
As the dust settles on the holiday season, we would like to tell you about a wonderful evening shared by many friends of FlavoryTX, old and new. It is our budding tradition to be the first ones to the "punch" of the holiday season with our annual Holiday Prelude fundraiser and celebration of the creation and enjoyment of the best flavors Texas has to offer.
This year's event was graciously hosted on the evening of November 15th at Swallows Eve by their wonderful team of event coordinators and caterers. Over 200 friends, old and new, filled their beautiful event venue in Fredericksburg. Putting on an event like this is right in the sweet spot for us at FlavoryTX. Many organizations have fundraisers with food and wine where you could easily forget, in the midst of it all, what the whole point of the event is. But because FlavoryTX exists to create atmospheres of culinary inspiration and experimentation, an evening of the best food and drink all enjoyed to benefit our cause couldn't be more in character.
There was so much "Flavory" in the evening. Holiday hors d’oeuvres were created by Chef Abi Velez, Culinary Operations Director of Elements Hospitality/Swallows Eve. The food was paired with award-winning Texas wines, beer, and bourbon from Airis’Ele Vineyards, Altstadt Brewery, Becker Vineyards, Garrison Brothers Distillery, Grape Creek Vineyards, Kuhlman Cellars, Lost Draw Cellars, William Chris Vineyard, Narrow Path Winery & Vineyard, Pedernales Cellars, Signor Vineyards, and Texas Heritage Vineyard. Our tongue gets tied finishing the list, but the sheer abundance and diversity of tastemakers represented highlights just why Flavory exists.
As FlavoryTX Board Member Bobby Watson put it so well. "While the whole Texan food and drink industry has been around a long time, something big is happening right now. There are so many young people starting their own projects. There is a really big and beautiful distilling, brewing, growing, cooking, and farm-to-table movement taking off in Texas. So many people are trying new things.
But it is more than just the tastes, it's the way they bring us together. If you attended the party this year you'll attest as Bobby did that the atmosphere was "alive." The room was full of friends, old and new. From seasoned wine tasters who are regulars at local vineyards to the general manager and executive chef of the new Albert Hotel which opens on East Main St. this year, bringing together of all the players of the culinary landscape is what FlavoryTX exists to do.
One of the highlights of the evening, really the only moment we could quiet the din of merriment for more than 30 seconds, was when we had the pleasure of introducing and thanking our caterer and her team of 8 high school students from the culinary arts program at Fredericksburg High School who assisted them with the evening. We are particularly excited about this program as our support of the food and drink industry starts by drawing talented and inspired youth into the industry and giving them the training they need to establish themselves in their favorite corner of the food and drink industry. The days of everybody going into debt to get a 4-year college degree are quickly ending and we're happy to be helping open doors to creative and satisfying careers to youth who want to grab a hold of the opportunity.
An evening like this is a success if everybody has a great time, is inspired by the mission, and gives towards the cause. But there is a sweet cherry on the top for us: a few of the students who helped out with the evening got noticed for their work by our caterer and may have a career door opening as we speak.
Speaking of "the cause", the evening was all for the benefit of our new world class facility that is in the works. Come and learn more about our vision and plans for a home base for FlavoryTX. It will be a beautiful building that will host educational experiences, courses, events, and even a culinary library. It will be the hub of the culinary wagon wheel of Texas where everybody who loves making and tasting the best can connect, grow, and be inspired together.
A few more thank you's are in order before we sign off:
Fabulous guitarist and composer Kevin McCormick provided musical selections for the event. Sponsors for the evening included the Albert Hotel, Fredericksburg Convention and Visitor Bureau, Mustard Design, and Pivotol. Special thanks to Mike Skinner for his design of the invitation, to Micah Weldon who is the culinary arts instructor at FHS, to Fischer and Wieser for supplying products, and to the Fredericksburg Standard Radio-Post for advertising!
PS - If you noticed that there are a lot of links in this blog, you're right! We are here to connect you to the best in food and drink. As we said above, there are a lot of good things going on these days. Check them out!
