To bring national + regional attention to the food scene in Charleston
Our Impact
Building a Sustainable Culinary Future
Celebrating, educating, enriching, and promoting the Lowcountry’s diverse culinary + hospitality community through world-class experiences.
An Economic Driver
The annual festival is paramount to the organization’s focus and a direct articulation of our mission. Ninety cents of every dollar we spend producing the festival has a direct measurable impact on our city’s economy and, year after year, the economic impact of Charleston Wine + Food is more than quadruple the organization’s annual budget.
Culinary Success in Charleston
Over the last 18 years, the festival has welcomed nearly 411,350 attendees and generated more than $170.48 million in economic impact for our region – a direct contributing factor to the growth of Charleston’s culinary brand and its success.
Supporting our Community
We are proud to work with and patronize a community of talented event planners, event producers, beverage logistics companies, rental companies, security, tenting, and more, and we directly hire nearly 200 independent contractors to help produce the festival; this does not include the mass hiring our largest vendors undergo annually to support production.
500+ Local Businesses
It’s no secret that Charleston is celebrated for its renowned restaurant community, and experiencing the local food + beverage scene in Charleston directly supports the industries that define + connect us. Over 500 local businesses were involved in the 2023 Charleston Wine + Food festival.
Workforce Readiness
Mentoring and nurturing the next generation of leaders through interactive experiences.
One of the largest challenges that our industry faces is staffing, employee retention, and workforce issues. Through our mission-focused work, Charleston Wine + Food invests in programming aimed at regenerating the local culinary + hospitality community.
Culinary High School Scholars Enrichment Program
The Culinary High School Scholars Enrichment Program combines Charleston County School District (CCSD) high school coursework with work-based + experiential learning. Students learn, work, and gain experience in the culinary + hospitality industry at one of the country’s most premier wine + food festivals.
One80 Place Training
Meaningful, sustained work is often key to ending + preventing individual homelessness. One80 Place Training graduates + enrollees participate in a paid externship supporting the Culinary Operations team during the Charleston Wine + Food Festival. This partnership not only helps combat staffing shortages in our local culinary community, but provides trainees with potential sustainable job opportunities.
Career-Shaping Opportunities
College of Charleston and Culinary Institute of Charleston students gain career-shaping insights in strategic communications + event planning and hands-on culinary support through hands-on learning fellowship opportunities, and CHSWF internships provide college students with unique and non-siloed experience in the worlds of event planning, logistics, finance, marketing, and more.
Hospitality and Tourism Management Scholarships
With a long-term goal of retaining experienced professional talent within the local industry, we fund a four-year scholarship – in partnership with College of Charleston – awarded to an incoming freshman who intends to declare a major, minor, or concentration in Hospitality and Tourism Management. Additionally, up to $2,000 is awarded to a selection of rising seniors who have declared and are earning a degree in this department.
Sustainability
At Charleston Wine + Food, we use our core values as our true north – the heart of what we do. We strive to be a good steward of our city and its culinary community and create a more sustainable + environmentally friendly festival year-after-year.
Compostables & Recyclables
We are committed to using 100% compostable or reusable serviceware and work with a local compost company to compost at all festival events. Festival items that cannot be composted are recycled, and oyster shells are recycled in conjunction with the Department of Natural Resources.
Sustainable Foodways
Members of the culinary community are constantly innovating to promote sustainable foodways, and we are proud to feature + advocate for these practices within our festival programming. Regenerative + restorative farming, aeroponic agriculture, sustainable oyster farming, and other innovative practices are creating new agricultural systems that keep our planet top of mind and have been topics of focus at events.
Supporting Our Local Food Economy
What you eat and where it comes from can have a lasting impact on the environment. By partnering with surrounding farmers + purveyors through our Foodie program, we support our local food economy with the goal of fostering a sustainable food system. Our local farmers + purveyors bridge food scarcity in our community by interconnecting social, economic, and environmental factors within our local food system.
Community Enrichment
Food is a powerful connector and storyteller. It allows our organization to present histories, cultures, and practices that are important and deserve attention and recognition to the world. We enlighten, enrich, and educate our community through food experiences.
Accessibility + Inclusivity
Successful festivals grow + evolve in response to the needs of the communities they serve and increasing accessibility + inclusivity is key to sustaining community. Family-friendly events spotlight the city’s diverse culinary, craft, and small business community and feature live music, food + beverage from local vendors, and allow attendees to explore the flavors of the city we’re lucky enough to call home.
West African and Caribbean Influences
The threads of West African and Caribbean influences are woven into the tapestry of South Carolina’s culture. These influences are present in our rich culinary, art, and music traditions, and in ever prominent ways, such as the Gullah culture and traditions of the Carolina Lowcountry. The programming presented at the annual festival is a compilation of this community’s stories through which we hope to provide a platform for others to learn, grow, connect, and acknowledge the importance of these stories on our way of life.
The Annual Festival
The annual festival is paramount to the organization’s focus. It’s a platform to share stories, elevate the people in this community, celebrate our city, and create an enriching experience for the people who live + work here. Industry-facing programming and networking opportunities support in elevating the skills + knowledge of our local industry, promoting culinary traditions, and offering one-on-one networking + skill-building opportunities for our local talent community.
Support Charleston’s
Culinary Future
Charleston Wine + Food celebrates our culinary heritage while driving change. Your support helps fund education, sustainability, and local community initiatives. Join us in making a lasting impact.
