The French-Filipino celebrity was included in a list of nominees for the prestigious international award, alongside three other talented Filipino chefs.
Many know Erwan Heussaff as the celebrity with a passion for all things culinary. The 36-year-old star has been making content focused on Filipino cuisine for years now, which he features on his official Instagram and FEATR—a digital video channel that’s “dedicated to food, travel, Filipino culture, and telling better stories over a hot meal.”
The content creator has millions of subscribers on both platforms, and for good reason. From healthy cooking videos to educational food documentaries, Heussaff has brought Filipino cuisine closer to audiences around the globe.
Recently, the star received more international recognition through his nomination in this year’s James Beard Awards. Likened to the Oscars in caliber, the prestigious award was established in the 1990s by the eponymous James Beard Foundation—named after the renowned gastronomic figure who was considered the “Dean of American Cookery.”
Once a way of celebrating the talents behind America’s food culture, the James Beard Awards has since expanded to amplify emerging voices from different cultures. The description on their website states that it’s “committed to supporting a resilient and flourishing industry that honors its diverse communities.”
Sharing Filipino Flavors
Heussaff was nominated in James Beard Media Awards under the “Social Media Account” category, which “recognizes excellence in a single food-related post, or compilation of up to three posts, that clearly represents the intention of the Facebook page, Twitter account, TikTok account, Instagram feed, or other social media format,” according to the official press release.
Nominated alongside him are two other successful channels in the world of food content creation: Nom Life (headed by Andrew Huang, Ewa Huang, and Jeromy Ko) and Kalamatas Kitchen-Of Course It’s Kid Friendly (which consists of Kalamata’s kitchen staff).
“Woke up to the exciting news yesterday and it just makes me more determined to keep going. To be recognized internationally by such an amazing platform is so motivating,” wrote Heussaff in an Instagram post announcing the good news.
He continued, sharing his ambitions for the future of Filipino culinary media: “With FEATR, we are working towards building a proudly Filipino, digital video focused, food media outlet. Showcasing stories and voices that need to be heard from our beautiful islands through TV caliber content. I hope we can enter a bunch of our videos in next year’s awards.”
Local Cuisine on a Global Stage
Heussaff isn’t the only Filipino representing the country and its cultural heritage in the awards. Nominees for the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards include three Filipino chefs, namely Aaron Verzosa, Vince Bugtong, and Margarita Manzke.
Verzosa was nominated for “Best Chef” in Northwest and Pacific through his Seattle-based restaurant Archipelago, which serves innovative Filipino-American cuisine. Meanwhile, Bugtong and Manzke were both nominated under the “Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker” category.
Bugtong was recognized for his sumptuous Filipino-Californian dishes in San Francisco’s ABACÁ, while Manzke was nominated for the mouth-watering pastries she serves in her LA-based café and bakery République.
Banner photo via Instagram @erwan.
