National culinary expertise adds celebrity flair to the food, flavors, and fun

Celebrity chef Jim Coleman and nationally-known beer and spirits connoisseur Lew Bryson will spice up the wonderful fare available during the first annual Great Pennsylvania FlavorFest™ on Memorial Day Weekend, May 24 and 25.  This feast for the senses will be held on the grounds of the Mount Hope Estate and Winery in Lancaster County, PA, one of the most fertile farmlands in the U.S.  The PA Dutch Convention & Visitors Bureau is co-organizer of the event.

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Jim Coleman has held the position of Executive Chef at several luxury establishments and now heads up the culinary team at the Normandy Farm Hotel’s Coleman Restaurant in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, 30 minutes outside Philadelphia.  He’s also the host of the PBS series, “Flavors of America,” and the NPR radio show, “A Chef’s Table,” as well as the author of three cookbooks and a weekly newspaper column.  Coleman was named “Chef of the Year” in 2006 by the Academy of the Culinary Arts.

Based in Newtown, Pennsylvania, Lew Bryson has been writing and commentating on beer and spirits since 1995.  He has written three books covering the breweries and brewpubs of New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and D.C., with a fourth coming out soon, on New Jersey.  Bryson writes for several national trade publications and has provided expert commentary on breweries for regional and national PBS documentaries, as well as for various news organizations, including the Associated Press and ABC News.

Coleman and Bryson will each conduct two entertaining presentations on both Saturday and Sunday.

With the help of signature partners Pennsylvania Preferred and the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, the Great Pennsylvania FlavorFest will offer a taste of the state’s dazzling array of culinary, beer, and wine offerings, along with the finest in Pennsylvania artisan crafts and some fabulous musical entertainment

Fun yet educational workshops and cooking demonstrations will be served up by respected industry insiders, while various vendors will sample and sell their delicious featured foods.  Selected members of the Pennsylvania Guild will offer culinary-themed items among their artistic creations, as well as demonstrate their finely-honed skills throughout the weekend.  To round out this celebration, a mix of Pennsylvania-based and national touring musicians will create an “entertainment in the park” atmosphere.