CRCL Honors Chefs Brigade

Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL) recently honored Chefs Brigade with a Coastal Stewardship Award. The ceremony was part of CRCL’s annual “State of the Coast” three-day conference held at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. The award might have been given to Chefs Brigade, but as Executive Director Troy Gilbert said, it was an honor for more than just our organization. 

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“Chefs Brigade is about connecting, organizing, educating and supporting restaurants, chefs, caterers, other organizations and programs that strengthen the future foodscape of our Gulf Coast region,” Gilbert said. “Connecting restaurants to CRCL’s Oyster Shell Recycling program and connecting restaurants to our immersive Chefs on Boats expeditions really gets to the crux of who we are.”

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Chefs Brigade joined a number of other esteemed organizations and individuals as award recipients including Governor John Bel Edwards; Dickie Brennan, owner of Dickie Brennan & Co.; Donald and Theresa Dardar, leaders of the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe; and many others. 

CRCL’s Communications Director James Karst said that the partnership between Chefs Brigade and CRCL has benefited both groups, but more importantly, it has aided restaurants.

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“Chefs Brigade has been a critical liaison between New Orleans restaurants and coastal restoration,” Karst said. ““The group has helped numerous restaurants participate in oyster shell recycling, and just as importantly it has helped restaurant staff understand and plan for changes to Louisiana’s coast.”

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