Hawaii Food And Wine Festival Boosts Local NGOs

The Hawaii Food and Wine Festival (HFWF) has just announced its 2014 chef roster with a roll call of impressive names. Among the festival's co-founders, James Beard award-winning chefs Roy Yamaguchi and Alan Wong, the event will also feature 22 more James Beard award winners and four Iron Chefs.

Now in its fourth year the non-profit festival will run from August 29th to September 7th and aims to return sustainability to Hawaiian food, tourism, agriculture, and education. Nearly a million dollars in net proceeds, from this year's festival, have already been provided to local beneficiaries that support those causes, such as the Hawaii Agriculture Foundation and the Hawaii Seafood Council. Governor Neil Abercrombie officially recognized the festival as the next agricultural and culinary movement in Hawaii. 

The 2014 festival will feature a roster of more than 80 internationally-renowned chefs and personalities from Hawaii and U.S. mainland including: Michelle Bernstein, Jose Garces, Masaharu Morimoto, Charles Phan, Andy Ricker, Sheldon Simeon, Christina Tosi, Jonathan Waxman, and Sang Yoon. HFWF will also feature culinary talent from around the globe including: Philip Johnson, Yuji Wakiya, Tetsuya Wakuda, and Toshi Yoroizuka. The festival will draw over 8,000 attendees on Maui, O'ahu and Hawaii Island for an unforgettable ten days of dining experiences.   

"The Hawai'i Food and Wine Festival brings together interests in tourism, agriculture, education, culinary arts, culture and sustainability to promote the Aloha State as a culinary destination and to build relationships extending beyond Hawai'i's shores," said Governor Abercrombie in a statement.  

The HFWF has also been able to provide more than $700,000 in net proceeds from the festival to beneficiaries that include the Hawai'i Agriculture Foundation, the Culinary Institute of the Pacific, Leeward Community College Culinary Program, Paepae o He'eia, Papahana Kuaola, Hawai'i Culinary Education Foundation, Hawaii Seafood Council, Maui Culinary Academy, and the Maui County Farm Bureau.

More information and tickets to the festival can be found on the HFWF Facebook and Twitter pages, and on their website