Local farm-to-fork chef Joy Crump is celebrating another triumph: She has been named a James Beard Award semifinalist.
Crump, a Fredericksburg restaurateur who appeared on Season 12 of Bravo’s “Top Chef,” is one of 20 semifinalists for Best Chef in the 2023 James Beard Foundation’s Restaurant and Chef Awards, in the mid-Atlantic category.
The James Beard Awards recognize exceptional talent as well as a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability and continued contribution to a thriving culture, according to the James Beard Foundation.
The Best Chef Award celebrates “chefs who set high standards in their culinary skills and leadership abilities, and who are making efforts to help create a sustainable work culture in their respective regions while contributing positively to their broader community,” the foundation states on its website.
People are also reading…
“It’s an award that is given by your peers, to their peers. And it really means a lot because it’s within the industry and it’s being recognized within your industry,” said Crump, executive chef of downtown restaurant Foode. “There is nothing less solo than owning a restaurant and business, and I welcome the opportunity to shine a light on the guys who are in the kitchen working and the people who greet everyone who walks through the door.”
A Pennsylvania native who refined her culinary skills at Atlanta’s Art Institute and in Los Angeles before settling in Fredericksburg, Crump crafts her dishes from the ground up with locally sourced ingredients. She started her home-based catering company Foode in 2009 and, in 2011, alongside partner Beth Black, established Foode’s first restaurant in Fredericksburg.
“This place just sort of wrapped itself around me and I felt very taken in by it. Foode belongs to Fredericksburg, Fredericksburg designed it,” Crump said. “We always keep our ears to the ground and I think Fredericksburg has always spoken to us pretty clearly about what they need and what should come next. We try to answer that call.”
Fredericksburg’s director of Economic Development & Tourism Bill Freehling said Foode has thrived in a community that nurtures and supports small businesses.
“We couldn’t be prouder of Joy for this accomplishment,” said Freehling. “Foode has definitely created a great reputation for itself and is an important part of our downtown and restaurant communities. There are many very talented chefs and Joy is certainly at the top of that list.”
Each year, the Restaurant and Chef Awards Committee holds an open call for recommendations in addition to prospective candidates put forth by the program’s voting body. Recommendations from the public are reviewed and considered by the subcommittee when compiling the semifinalist list.
“We are so thrilled to recognize this year’s Restaurant and Chef Awards semifinalists, a truly diverse group of talented individuals across the culinary industry,” said Restaurant and Chef Awards Committee Chair Adrian Miller in a news release.
Nominees will be announced Wednesday, March 29, and winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on June 5 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. A complete list of the 2023 Restaurant and Chef Awards semifinalists can be found on the James Beard Foundation website.
