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12/8/2017 |
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Myrtle Beach’s Heidi Vukov Named 2018 South Carolina Chef Ambassador |
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For Immediate Release
December 8, 2017
Media Contact:
Julie Ellis
Public Relations & Communications Manager
Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce/CVB
O: 843-916-7235; C: 843-592-9872
Julie.Ellis@VisitMyrtleBeach.com
Myrtle Beach’s Heidi Vukov Named 2018 South Carolina Chef Ambassador
COLUMBIA – Heidi Vukov, owner of Hook & Barrel and two Croissants restaurants in Myrtle Beach, was named an official South Carolina Chef Ambassador on Friday, December 8 by Governor Henry McMaster at a ceremony in SC State House rotunda. She and three other chefs will spend a year representing the state at key tourism and agricultural events.
The Chef Ambassador program seeks chefs who embody the best of South Carolina’s food scene, both in the quality of their provisions, as well as their dedication to using healthy, locally-grown ingredients.
“Heidi Vukov was a natural choice for this honor,” said Brad Dean, president and CEO of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. “She has been at the forefront of the sustainable foodie movement in the area and has been serving up culinary excellence here for many years. We are honored to work with Heidi and congratulate her on yet another excellent accomplishment.”
Chef Vukov moved to Myrtle Beach from Pennsylvania in the early 90s, and opened her first Croissants Bistro & Bakery in 1995. Her love of food began in her grandmother's kitchen in Germany, where European bakeries inspired her love for cooking. Heidi and Croissants are the recipients of numerous awards, including the 2011 South Carolina Restauranteur of the Year. In 2015, Vukov published her first cookbook, "Bonjour, Y'all," the recipes in which feature a unique fusion of traditional Lowcountry cuisine with French cooking. In July 2017, Heidi opened Hook & Barrel, featuring the first green kitchen in South Carolina for a full-service restaurant.
Throughout the upcoming year, Heidi and the other chef ambassadors will participate in culinary and tourism-specific events, hosting cooking demonstrations, conducting educational seminars and discussing the offerings found in the cities in which their establishments are based. According to South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers, “The Chef Ambassador program helps us connect South Carolinians with their food and those who grow it, and helps us tell the food story to locals and visitors alike.” The SC Department of Agriculture works to increase demand for all things grown in South Carolina. The agency joins the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism to promote the Chef Ambassador program which was first enacted in 2014 to showcase the culinary offerings and tourism destinations found throughout the state of South Carolina.
For more information about the South Carolina Chef Ambassadors, please visit www.agriculture.sc.gov.
About the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce:
Since 1938 the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce has stood as the unified voice of the Grand Strand's business community. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has awarded the MBACC its five-star accreditation, one of only a few chambers in South Carolina to earn this distinction. The MBACC serves Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Little River, Atlantic Beach, Garden City Beach, Loris, Conway, Aynor, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield Beach, Pawleys Island, Socastee, and Carolina Forest. For more information, visit MyrtleBeachAreaChamber.com.
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