Charity Profile

Austin Food & Wine Alliance cultivates local culinary scene through fun and dynamic initiatives

Rock Your Taco Austin Food & Wine Festival Underbelly

Austin Food & Wine Alliance uses grants, educational programming, and events to raise awareness about culinary innovation.

Photo courtesy of Austin Food & Wine Festival

Editor's note: CultureMap is committed to shining a light on Austin-area nonprofits and their impact on our community. So, we're launching the first-ever CultureMap Austin Charity Challenge, highlighting deserving local organizations — one of which will become our charity partner for 2016 based on readers' votes. Get to know one of our eight finalists, the Austin Food & Wine Alliance.

Austin garners a lot of praise for vibrant, creative fare and the good times that tend to roll along with it. One organization dedicated to growing and maintaining that reputation is the Austin Food & Wine Alliance (AFWA).

The nonprofit organization uses grants, educational programming, and events to raise awareness about innovation in the culinary community. Originally conceived as The Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival 26 years ago, the program evolved into a nonprofit in support of the rich culinary community it helped to cultivate.

Most notable among the many services AFWA provides to the community is the annual Culinary Arts and Career Conference. An event hosting over 500 area high school students, this conference links current professionals to the future generation, providing classes, information, and inspiration.

So how can the Austin Food & Wine Alliance afford to do so much? With celebrations, of course! Proceeds from the can't-miss Austin Food & Wine Festival benefit the organization. In addition, the annual Live Fire! event features favorite local chefs getting creative with beef, a pillar of Texan cuisine. And Wine & Swine, which just celebrated five years, features an authentic pig roast and, of course, top Texan wines. AFWA uses fun events to bolster an already dynamic community of food and drink.

Vote now for the Austin Food & Wine Alliance — or any of the other worthy local nonprofits — in the CultureMap Charity Challenge running through December 30. A winner will be announced January 5, 2016, and will receive a CultureMap advertising package worth $10,000.

charity-challenge

Grocery news haul

Grocery service Farmhouse Delivery returns to Austin with fun surprise

Courtesy photo

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After suddenly halting its operations in May, grocery service Farmhouse Delivery is on its way back, with an extra surprise for Austin: a new storefront.

Known for offering locally prepared foods and produce from small Central Texas farms, the subscription-based service emailed its loyal customers on Monday, November 18, to share the relaunch news and outline its plans for the future.

“We’ve missed you and are beyond grateful for your patience as we’ve been hard at work planning the next chapter of Farmhouse Delivery,” the newsletter reads. “Soon, you’ll once again have fresh, local food delivered straight to your doorstep[.]”

Farmhouse Delivery is aiming for a December date to resume deliveries, they say. They've used the intervening six months to not only revamp their existing business model, but to expand their offerings.

The biggest surprise in the newsletter was a revelation of plans for a new storefront in Austin, blending a cozy farmer’s market vibe with what they call “the best parts of your favorite grocer — where you can discover fresh foods, refill on essentials, connect with other members on sustainable living, and, of course, [shop] our best local products — all in innovative, reusable packaging.”

The email did not divulge details for the location or timing of the storefront project.

The company also plans to introduce a new membership model with exclusive benefits such as sneak peeks of new products and promotions.

Underscoring its commitment to sustainability, Farmhouse also announced that it’s working toward a completely plastic-free delivery:

“Expect to see your favorite items in sustainable packaging, with rewards for returning and reusing Farmhouse materials. Together, let’s reduce waste and make sustainable choices the coolest thing to do.”

The newsletter invited customers to complete a survey to help shape the ongoing Farmhouse experience. There, customers can indicate their desired delivery day (or days) and the factors that influence that preference (meal planning, work schedule, etc.), as well as specific products they would like to see in future deliveries.

Survey participants can also designate their preferred price point for memberships and the most appealing benefits from a long list, including free deliveries, additional delivery days, free products, members-only cooking classes, exclusive content, and more.

Neither the newsletter nor the Farmhouse website announced a specific date for relaunching, but returning and new customers can keep an eye on the website and social media for further details.

delivery farmhouse grocery supermarkets