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Media Release
San Mateo County Convention & Visitors Bureau
June 19, 2007
Contact: Anne LeClair (650) 348-7600

Hotels, Restaurants and Corporations Honored with
“San Mateo County: As Fresh as it Gets” Awards
San Mateo County Farm Bureau, San Mateo County Visitors Bureau, Harbor District Team Up to Encourage Use of Locally Grown (and Caught) Products

Forty-four restaurants/hotels and caterers, two corporations and a local university earned “San Mateo County: As Fresh as it Gets” Awards on June 18 at the second annual recognition ceremony held by the San Mateo County Convention Bureau and San Mateo County Farm Bureau.  The program was expanded this year, thanks to a grant from the County, and is put on in cooperation with the San Mateo County Harbor District.  The number of winners this year increased 34% over last year, when 35 restaurants won the initial award.

The awards program recognizes local restaurants, hotels and caterers that make it a point to buy and serve produce from local San Mateo County growers, seafood caught off of San Mateo County’s coastline, local goat cheese and beer and wine made in the county.  A corporate category was added this year to recognize companies making an effort to serve their employees or students the freshest local fare.  Months prior to the awards ceremony, a mailing was sent to every restaurant in San Mateo County with an application and a grid outlining all of our fresh local products, the peak seasons for the products and where to buy them.  Applications were reviewed by the San Mateo County Farm Bureau.  The program’s goals are to support  the county’s farmers, fishermen and wine and beer makers, to position San Mateo County as a world-class destination for culinary tourism and to educate locals about the area’s incredible fresh products and their health value.

All of the winners and participants were applauded by keynote speaker Paul Wenger, first vice president of the California Farm Bureau Federation. Wenger praised the winners’ efforts to support local growers and their commitment to bringing the very best to their customers.  He noted that the “San Mateo County: As Fresh as it Gets” program is a model for the entire state.

The ceremony itself was held at the San Mateo County Event Center, with fresh local foods turned into delicious hors d’oeuvres by Ovations Fanfare. The Event Center and Ovations were both sponsors of the event, as was the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company, on hand to offer beer tastings.  Local wines were offered.

Each award-winning restaurant owner or catering manager was presented with a plaque to hang in his establishment and a polo shirt identifying the owner/manager as an award winner.  In addition, each winning establishment’s chef was given a shirt declaring him/her an award-winning “San Mateo County Fresh Chef”.  All winners received commendations from the California Assembly and Senate, and the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.

The program is expected to continue to grow as restaurants continue to see the value in purchasing, serving and labeling local products.  The Convention and Visitors Bureau, Farm Bureau and Harbor District are working on ways to maximize the distribution of local products throughout the county, and to that end, the restaurant owners and chefs have just been invited on the second annual behind the scenes farm and dock tour scheduled July 9.  The tour is designed to allow local chefs and owners to learn about local products and to make the necessary connections to purchase them.

The awards are expected to not only continue to increase the local business given to the restaurants and caterers who participate, but also to entice more visitors to the area for a well-rounded local experience.  The Convention & Visitors Bureau is using the program as a major selling point for groups and individual travelers who want to experience the freshest cuisine.  “Most visitors want a truly unique experience when they travel.  Enjoying the freshest cuisine with local wine and or beer uses all five senses, creating a truly memorable experience and one that will bring people back,” according to CVB CEO Anne LeClair.  LeClair remarked that the interest on the part of locals has been keen, as well.  The Convention & Visitors Bureau has already begun running ads in Sunset magazine featuring our area as a fresh new culinary tourism destination. John Giusti of Giusti Farms is featured in some ads and local fisherman and California Salmon Council President Jim Anderson in others.

“This is an outstanding way to highlight the great products grown in San Mateo County and to get our fresh items onto more menus,” commented San Mateo County Farm Bureau Executive Administrator Jack Olsen. “We anticipate continued success and are delighted that the County has jumped in to offer its support to our organizations on this project.”

The “San Mateo County: As Fresh as it Gets” promotion earned a national community program award from the American Farm Bureau and a commendation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  A new website has been created around the program and will be unveiled in July. A report on the health advantages of each of the County’s fresh products was just created by the two bureaus, thanks to the county grant, and will be circulated to farmer’s markets, health care groups and local farm stands.  The program follows other cooperative successes of the San Mateo County CVB and San Mateo County Farm Bureau, which have included a Get Fresh on the Coast cookbook featuring local restaurant recipes using local seafood and ingredients grown in San Mateo County and a local ingredient San Mateo Countini contest for bartenders. (The winning cocktail featured a goat cheese-stuffed artichoke heart.)  The Farm Bureau also assists the Convention & Visitors Bureau’s Film Commission in searches for agriculture-related filming venues.  The Bureau uses the “San Mateo County: As Fresh as it Gets” campaign as a door opener with meeting planners for gourmet groups, meetings related to specific foods and national agricultural groups.

“Jack and the Farm Bureau have been incredibly supportive of our industry, even assisting us with the recruitment of agricultural meetings to our county,” according to San Mateo County Convention & Visitors Bureau CEO Anne LeClair. “We have recruited two major meetings of the California Farm Bureau, and we have other ag-related meetings in the pipeline.  With the abundance of fresh produce and seafood San Mateo County has to offer, joint promotions with the Farm Bureau and Harbor District are a natural for us.” The two bureaus will continue to go to award winners on a monthly basis to build local “SMC: As Fresh as it Gets” special event listings related to the fresh crops and fish available at particular times of the year.  The calendars will be posted on the new website.

The awards are just the beginning, according to the Convention and Farm Bureaus.  Restaurants, accommodations and caterers desiring more information or an award application form should contact the SMCCVB directly at: 650-348-7600 or info@smccvb.com. ###