April Bloomfield on Brooklyn’s New Food Festival
What are a few of the panels or events that you are you particularly excited about?
I’m really looking forward to my dinner with Paul at The Elm. And I’m super excited about the cookout! Francis Mallman is cooking with Brent and Tom from Meat Hook. Also, I’m an Instagram addict, so definitely the food photography with Daniel Krieger.
Tell us a bit about your dinner with Paul Liebrandt. You’re marketing it as Two Brits One Kitchen, but I’m assuming we shouldn’t expect deconstructed Yorkshire Pudding out of him.
This dinner with Paul is going to bring some British love to Brooklyn. We wanted to do some classic British dishes that represent our history but also bring some of our current menus to the table. I can’t wait to cook with him! It’s a small intimate dinner for 20, so buy your tickets fast!
To be honest, it’s a bit of a surprise that you’re spearheading this very Brooklyn event, being that you’ve established yourself in Manhattan. Is this a teaser of things to come? Can we expect an April Bloomfield project in Brooklyn anytime soon?
I’ve got to tell you that I just love Brooklyn! It’s a very special place; you can tell from the moment you get off the train and from the people you meet. Brooklyn is very unique and it should be celebrated! I would love nothing more than to one day be a part of the community. Until then, I will have to settle on visiting as often as I can.
Taste Talks wouldn’t be happening unless there was a real interest in and excitement about the state of Brooklyn’s dining scene. But as a Brooklyn native, I’d argue that our dining scene has been noteworthy forever. What do you think has sparked such a sudden and universal interest, nationally, even globally, in what’s going on in Brooklyn?
Brooklyn is Brooklyn. It never looks for influence. It just keeps being Brooklyn and that’s the most wonderful thing about it. I think people are just catching on, and it’s about time!
This being Taste Talks’ inaugural installment, you didn’t exactly have a blueprint to follow when it came to putting it together. What are a few important lessons you learned during the planning process that you think could be applied to next year’s event?
We have definitely learned our dos and don’ts for making this happen, but our teams have worked well and had fun doing it! There is only one way to learn and grow, and that’s by doing things again and having the ability to put new ideas and processes into practice.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit taste-talks.com