FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Contact:
Andy Chapman
228-493-6555
andy@eatcities.com
7TH ANNUAL MISSISSIPPI SEAFOOD COOK-OFF WILL
ANCHOR A NEW CULINARY EXPERIENCE ON MISSISSIPPI COAST
GULFPORT, MS -- Today, Eat Y’all is pleased to join with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources / Mississippi Seafood Marketing to announce that the 7th annual Mississippi Seafood Cook-Off will be held on May 26 in downtown Gulfport as the anchor event of an expanded culinary experience called the Mississippi Seafood Experience. Making its debut this year, the founders of Eat Y’all along with other local visionaries hope to grow this event into a multi-day culinary festival celebration of Mississippi’s seafood industry and culinary culture over the coming years.
The highlight of this year’s event will be the Mississippi Seafood Cook-Off presented by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources / Mississippi Seafood Marketing. Guests will watch as a juried line-up of Mississippi’s top chefs compete in a high-stakes live cooking challenge and are judged by a live panel of culinary professionals from across the Southeast. The winning chef will go on to compete on the national stage at both the Great American Seafood Cook-Off, and for the first time this year, the World Food Championships!
”We are pleased to welcome the Mississippi Seafood Cook-Off sponsored by the Department of Marine Resources to the city of Gulfport, where the event will be showcased at Cafe’ Climb,” Mayor Billy Hewes said. “The mission of Climb CDC combined with a competition featuring the best seafood in the world will make for a culinary event not to be missed!”
Andy Chapman, Founder and President of Eat Y’all and Eat MS Coast, said, "We are honored to work with the Department of Marine Resources and our other local partners to bring many of our state’s best chefs to this extraordinary Mississippi Coast venue - and to add new culinary experiences alongside this rich seafood cook-off tradition.”
As part of this year’s expanded experience, guests will enjoy a bountiful upscale Shrimp Boil featuring Mississippi Gulf Shrimp and a spread of gourmet side dishes and desserts from the Mississippi Coast’s top restaurants and chefs. Guests will also enjoy tastings of local craft beer, courtesy of Chandeleur Island Brewing Company and Rex Distributing Co., listen to live entertainment and visit with the state’s most accomplished chefs. A welcome cocktail and craft beer tastings are included in the event ticket. A cash bar will also be available.
Best of all, guests can support the Climb CDC by bidding in a live auction. Each competitor will prepare ONE extra plate that will be available for guests to purchase and enjoy -- hot out of the Mississippi Seafood Cook-Off competition kitchen! The Climb CDC is home to Mississippi's first teaching cafe, providing a career path for disadvantaged young adults through professional culinary training and job placement in the hospitality and tourism industry, the Mississippi Coast's largest private sector employer.
Don't miss this rare opportunity to watch award-winning, world-class chefs compete head to head in a live cooking competition! Come out and celebrate Mississippi's top chefs and the bountiful seafood at the Mississippi Seafood Experience featuring the 7th Annual Mississippi Seafood Cook-Off on Thursday, May 26 at 6:00 pm at the Climb CDC Warehouse in downtown Gulfport.
The Mississippi Seafood Experience is hosted by Eat Y’all and is presented by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources / Mississippi Seafood Marketing. Dress is fancy casual. General admission tickets are available for $29 per person or $50 per couple. In addition, a limited number of VIP Tables are also available on a first-come, first-served basis and include seating for eight guests at a marked table in the VIP-only section near the Mississippi Seafood Cook-Off Judging Stage. Table service for food and beer tastings is included for VIPs. Advance ticket purchase is required and a limited number of tickets are available. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.eatyall.com/msseafood, www.eatmscoast.com/msseafood or call 601-852-3463.
Eat Y’all (EatYall.com), a Gulfport-based culinary promotion company, connects folks around the world to the South’s very best culinary products and experiences through digital media and signature events. Eat Y’all’s sister company, Eat MS Coast (EatMSCoast.com) helps locals and visitors alike discover the best local eats and culinary events on the Mississippi Coast. Follow them on social media at @letseatyall and @eatmscoast.
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is dedicated to enhancing, protecting and conserving marine interests of the state by managing all marine life, public trust wetlands, adjacent uplands and waterfront areas to provide for the optimal commercial, recreational, educational and economic uses of these resources consistent with environmental concerns and social changes. Visit the DMR online at dmr.ms.gov and learn more about their efforts to market Mississippi Seafood at msseafood.com.
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