Cochon55 10th Anniversary Culinary Tour

Cochon555 is celebrating ten years during their 2019 nationwide tour, which starts in Dallas in February and culminates with Grand Cochon, the finale on September 15 in Chicago. The events will all feature more than one hundred prominent chefs, farmers, sommeliers, distillers, brewers and barkeeps all working to create luxurious moments that educate the palate. The goal is to raise the bar on building a sustainable and profitable relationship for brands and chefs participating in culinary festivals. Every event is a fundraiser for Cochon555's sister charity, Piggy Bank, a start-up farm in Missouri that serves as a kickstarter for new family farms and a safety net for those in the wake of a disaster (flood, fire and disease).

Each event features five notable chefs who have one week to prepare a 200-pound pig and present a “Judge’s Plate” scored on utilization, technique, and overall flavor, scored by celebrity judges and participants. The winner of the local competition is announced the “Prince or Princess of Pork” and advances to the national finale, Grand Cochon, which spotlights the best of all regional events in a head-to-tail, winner-takes-all showdown.

Additionally, Cochon555’s Heritage Fire events complement the tour as one the most memorable live-fire food experiences of the year. Held in prestigious culinary destinations, Heritage Fire is a hyper-local, whole animal, bacchanal celebrating the raising, cooking, and eating of animals (beef, lamb, goat, rabbit, fish, and poultry) raised responsibly. Each event features 3,000+ pounds of fire-kissed meats and vegetables roasted en plein air by celebrated chefs in a savory tribute to local food communities and age-old cooking methods.
 
"Our intention is to unify farmers, chefs, and consumers in celebration of supporting honest food," said founder Brady Lowe. "We're excited to commemorate our 10th nationwide culinary competition, having served 155,000 guests during previous events. We're thrilled to have touched the lives of so many families and small farms through these experiences to effect positive change in the food movement."
 
Running in tandem with the tour are a pair of internal competitions. Punch Kings presented by El Tesoro Tequila, a whole bottle spirit competition featuring the market’s top barkeeps in a hand-crafted punch challenge and Somm Smackdown, a face-off of the nation’s top sommeliers, pairing the best wine with heritage pig.
 
For an in-depth look at the distinguished events of the Cochon555 movement, online videos, tour dates and to purchase tickets, visit www.cochon555.com.

2019 COCHON555/Heritage Fire and Grand Cochon Tour schedule includes: