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The Balvenie to explore ‘craft’ with Anthony Bourdain
The Balvenie has partnered with US chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain on a series of initiatives aimed at highlighting and rewarding “true craft”.
Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain has partnered with The Balvenie to raise the profile of craft in the US
The single malt Scotch whisky, owned by William Grant & Sons, will work with Bourdain to bring attention to some of America’s craftspeople through three separate facets.
The first will be an online series of short films called Raw Craft, presented by Bourdain and featuring a variety of craftspeople from around the country. The trailer for the series can be seen below.
Secondly, Bourdain will serve as lead juror for the American Craft Council Rare Craft Fellowship Awards, held in association with The Balvenie, for the next two years.
The award, which recognises contributions to the revival or maintenance of craft traditions in the US, rewards a craftsperson each year with a trip to Scotland pus US$10,000 toward materials to continue their craft. A further US$5,000 is also awarded to four finalists.
The 2015 award will be announced on 10 March 2015.
Lastly, Bourdain will offer his services to curate The Balvenie Rare Craft Collection, a travelling exhibition of works from US craftspeople featuring live demonstrations, tutorials and Scotch whisky tastings.
Bourdain said he partnered with The Balvenie to ensure craftsmanship is “valued” and continues into the future.
“The phrase hand crafted gets thrown around a lot these days. It’s become a movement, a trend that only serves to delude the traditions of true crafts people, the passionate folks who actually make amazing things by hand using the knowledge and the tools passed through the generations,” he said.
“For me, there is deep satisfaction in seeing people, with a particular skill set and a real passion, produce a beautiful thing which is why I’m excited to be a part of these programs in partnership with The Balvenie.”
The partnership begins this month and will continue through until May 2016.
Andrew Weir, senior brand manager for The Balvenie, said: “Our commitment to celebrating these incredible craftspeople is a journey we’ve been on for many years and it all stems from the fact that our approach to crafting our whisky has changed very little in over a century.
“Collaborating with Anthony Bourdain—who we were delighted to learn has long been an admirer of our product—is a very exciting next step on this journey. Anthony’s personal passion for craft and craftspeople will certainly raise a new level of awareness for the craft movement.”
Bourdain has had a long career working in top US kitchens, including as executive chef at Brasserie Les Halles. He is also well-known for his work as an author, having written Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, and his work in TV, hosting his own food travel shows with the Travel Channel and CNN.