How Negronis Support the Slow Food Negroni Week Fund

As the official Giving Partner of Negroni Week, Slow Food works to foster sustainability, biodiversity, and equity in food and beverage communities around the world. In 2023, following the Negroni Week festivities, which generated over $600,000 in donations from more than 12,000 venues in 79 countries, Slow Food launched its Negroni Week Fund. This special fund supports Slow Food’s ongoing mission to advance cultural and biodiversity through programs like the Ark of Taste, Coffee Coalition, Wine Coalition, and the Snail of Approval program, as well as hospitality-focused projects dedicated to supporting eduction, wellness, community-building, and innovation.

“Through Negroni Week, we gain new connections to the food and beverage professionals that move the needle on achieving good, clean, and fair food for everyone.” —Bilal Sarwari, Slow Food USA

“The Negroni Week Fund continues to be a major source of support for Slow Food USA and Slow Food International,” says Bilal Sarwari, interim executive director for Slow Food USA. “Through Negroni Week, we gain new connections to the food and beverage professionals that move the needle on achieving good, clean, and fair food for everyone. We also fortify relationships with our existing network because of this partnership—while raising the resources our organization needs to allow us to put energy where it’s needed most.”

Slow Food distributes the Negroni Week Fund in three ways: Innovation Awards, Education Scholarships, and Exchange Opportunities.

Negroni Week Innovation Awards

These $3,000–$10,000 micro-grants support innovative and community-based projects that support clean and fair values in the hospitality industry. Last year’s donations awarded 17 community-based projects. Among these were grants for mental health care for Latino hospitality workers provided through Another Round Another Rally; the promotion of local and sustainable wine production in the Loire Valley; and a zero-waste bar project in the UK.

“Thanks to the Negroni Week Fund, the Slow Food Innovation Awards are supporting 17 community-based partnerships that will develop creative projects in 13 countries responding to the most pressing challenges of the hospitality and beverage sector,” says Sarwari. “These initiatives include a wide range of focus areas, including mental healthcare resources (both in Spanish and English), more sustainable sources of wild honey, and strengthening the collaborations between cooks and farmers.”

Education Scholarships

To give less experienced hospitality professionals an opportunity to learn about sustainability and best practices within their community, this scholarship allows 30 grantees to travel to Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans and Slow Food’s Terra Madre Salone del Gusto in Turin, Italy. Bartender and Slow Drinks author Danny Childs helped select this year’s scholarship recipients and served as a host and guide to the Tales of the Cocktail cohort. This year’s scholarship recipients include Argentinian sommelier Solan Astudillo, Chicago barkeep Peach Miller, Filipino brewer Armand Camhol, Sudanese coffee roaster Khemis Joel, New Jersey bartender Michael Vander Horn, and Detroit restaurateur Rohani Foulkes.

“Our inaugural Negroni Week Fund cohort that joined beverage industry professionals at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans this year were an inspiration,” says Sarwari. “The members of our cohort demonstrated their commitment to equity in food and beverage by sharing their valuable skills and knowledge while being open to building new connections during the event. I’m proud to have been able to meet this incredible group and am cheered to see their alignment with Slow Food values.”

Slow Food Exchanges

These grants connect hospitality professionals with producer communities through hands-on field experiences, in-depth forums, networking, and public events. In July, Slow Food’s Midwest Ark of Taste committee hosted a “Grains for Eating and Drinking” event with the intention of connecting hospitality professionals that interact with Ark of Taste grains. Guests included producers, chefs, millers, and brewers, who got a chance to tour a nearby farm where they were able to see Ark of Taste grains growing in the field and learn from the grain producers. Afterward, they toured a nearby mill before visiting a local distillery to cap off the immersive farm-to-bottle experience.

Other upcoming exchanges will be held in Charleston, South Jersey, and Atlanta. “Slow Food USA aims to connect hospitality professionals with local producers through the Slow Food Exchange program, generously sponsored by the Negroni Week Fund. Each Exchange includes a field experience, in-depth forum, networking, and a public event,” says Sarwari. “Earlier this year, our Midwest Ark of Taste collaborated with Kendall College, Janie’s Mill, and Silver Tree Distillery by bringing people together to explore the heirloom grain chain with a special focus on Bloody Butcher corn and Turkey Red Wheat. We believe that strong local food networks can change the world, and the Slow Food Exchange helps us achieve that goal.”

Click here to learn more about the Slow Food Negroni Week Fund. And be sure to head to negroniweek.com to find participating bars during Negroni Week that are supporting the impactful work of Slow Food.