The Nashville Food Project’s Blog
Looking Back at Nourish 2026
Nourish 2026 was a powerful celebration of food, community, and connection. From a beautifully collaborative meal prepared by top chefs to stories that highlighted the heart of our mission, the evening brought people together around a shared table and a shared purpose—to nourish Nashville.
On July 16, 2026, we gathered for Nourish, presented by Kroger Zero Hunger Zero Waste Foundation, and what a night it was.
More than 300 guests came together around the table, helping raise more than $260,000+ to support the mission of The Nashville Food Project: bringing people together to grow, cook, and share nourishing food.
The numbers tell part of the story, but the spirit of Nourish is found in the people who make the evening possible. It was a celebration of community, collaboration, and connection, a night when the table became a place for generosity, shared purpose, and joy.
A Meal Created Together
This year’s chef lineup brought together Chris and Emma Baird of S.S. Gai, Son Pham of Eleven11, Sam Jett of audrey, Junior Vo of Noko Nashville and Kase x Noko, Michael Hanna of St. Vito Focacceria, and Jennifer Latham of Mama Bread.
Each chef brought a distinct voice and vision to the table, creating a multi-course meal shaped by different cultures, techniques, and traditions. Just as meaningful as the food itself was the spirit of collaboration behind it. Throughout the evening, chefs worked side by side, helping one another prep, plate, and bring each course to life with care and camaraderie.
That generosity of spirit reflected what Nourish has always been about: people offering what they have in service of something larger than themselves.
Looking Back and Looking Ahead
At Nourish, we premiered Past. Present. Future., a new film created in honor of The Nashville Food Project’s 15th anniversary.
The film traces the relationships, acts of hospitality, and shared commitments that have shaped this work from the beginning. It honors those who helped build The Nashville Food Project, reflects on the people carrying the work forward today, and looks toward what may still be possible when a community continues to grow, cook, and share nourishing food together.
We are grateful to now share the film beyond the room where it first premiered and invite our wider community into this reflection on where we have been, where we are, and where we are going together.
Honoring Amy Lee
One of the evening’s most heartfelt moments was the presentation of the Thomas Williams Golden Skillet Award to Amy Lee. Although Amy was unable to attend, her mother accepted the award on her behalf.
Established in 2017, the award honors a volunteer whose generosity, compassion, and dedication reflect the spirit of The Nashville Food Project. Amy has served faithfully for years, creating opportunities for others to participate and helping cultivate a sense of belonging wherever she volunteers.
This year’s presentation held particular significance following the passing of Thomas Williams earlier this month. As the founder of Nourish and the namesake of the Golden Skillet Award, Thomas helped shape the spirit of the evening from its earliest days. Though this was our first Nourish without him, his legacy endured in the hospitality, generosity, and joy shared around the table.
Honoring Amy was a meaningful way to recognize the volunteers who continue carrying that spirit of service forward.
Raising Paddles, Raising Hope
The evening’s generosity extended far beyond the dinner table. Guests contributed $72,330 in donations, including support inspired by a $20,000 matching gift that helped extend the impact of every contribution.
Because of the generosity of individual donors, sponsors, chefs, volunteers, and community partners, The Nashville Food Project will be able to grow, cook, and share tens of thousands more nourishing meals with neighbors across Nashville in the months ahead.
Nourish reminds us that a table can hold far more than a meal. It can hold memory, relationships, generosity, and hope for what we can build together.
Thank you to everyone who helped make Nourish 2026 possible.
With Gratitude to Our Sponsors
Nourish 2026 would not have been possible without our generous sponsors. We are deeply grateful to the following partners:
Nourish is one evening, but the work it supports happens every day.
Each week, The Nashville Food Project prepares and shares thousands of scratch-made meals, stewards community gardens and orchards, recovers fresh food that might otherwise go to waste, and works alongside neighbors to strengthen our local food system.
If you weren't able to join us at Nourish, or if you'd like to extend the impact of the evening, there's still time to make a gift. Your support helps ensure that more neighbors have access to nourishing food and welcoming community throughout the year.
Looking Back at Nourish 2025
Nourish 2025 was a powerful celebration of food, community, and connection. From a beautifully collaborative meal prepared by top chefs to stories that highlighted the heart of our mission, the evening brought people together around a shared table and a shared purpose—to nourish Nashville.
On July 17, 2025, we gathered for our 15th annual Nourish, presented by Kroger—and what a night it was. We're humbled and incredibly proud to share that Nourish 2025 brought together more than 300 guests and raised nearly $250,000 to support our mission of bringing people together to grow, cook, and share nourishing food.
But beyond the numbers, Nourish was once again a beautiful celebration of community, collaboration, and connection—a night where the table became a place for generosity, shared purpose, and joy.
An Unforgettable Meal
This year’s all-star chef lineup included teams from:
Bad Idea
Curry Boys BBQ
S.S. Gai
Tantísimo
Turkey and the Wolf Icehouse
Saap Saap BBQ (unable to attend due to a family emergency)
Each chef brought a distinctive voice and vision to the meal, creating a multi-course experience that reflected diverse cultures, techniques, and a shared love for food. One of the evening’s most inspiring moments was witnessing these chefs collaborate in real time—helping one another plate, prep, and bring each dish to life with care and camaraderie.
We also premiered a behind-the-scenes chef video, highlighting their visit to the Growing Together Farm—and what fuels their passion for food and community.
Honoring Our Volunteer Hero: Theresa McCurdy
One of the evening’s most heartfelt moments was the presentation of the Thomas Williams Golden Skillet Award, which honors an outstanding volunteer who embodies the spirit of our work. This year, we were thrilled to present the award to Theresa McCurdy, who has quietly and faithfully given over 440 volunteer hours since 2022.
Theresa’s steady presence, compassion, and commitment have made her an integral part of our kitchen community. Her story is a powerful reminder that it’s not just meals we’re making—it’s community, built one kind gesture at a time.
The Thomas Williams Golden Skillet Award, established in 2017, recognizes a volunteer who has shown deep dedication to the work of The Nashville Food Project. Its namesake Thomas Williams is the founder of Nourish.
Raising Paddles, Raising Hope
This year’s Night of Giving was especially impactful thanks to a $20,000 matching gift, which helped double the power of every contribution made that evening. From $5,000 pledges to $100 gifts, the generosity in the room was overwhelming and deeply inspiring.
Thanks to the support of individual donors and corporate partners, we’ll be able to share tens of thousands more nourishing meals with our neighbors in the months ahead.
With Gratitude to Our Sponsors
Nourish 2025 would not have been possible without our generous sponsors. We are deeply grateful to the following partners:
Looking Ahead
Nourish isn’t just an annual event—it’s a reflection of our ongoing work and the community that makes it possible. Whether you were with us in person or supporting from afar, thank you for helping us grow this movement.
Together, we’re building a more food-secure, connected, and resilient Nashville. One meal. One garden. One relationship at a time.
Guest Chef Series: Hal Holden-Bache and Jaime Miller of Lockeland Table
Chef Hal Holden-Bache of Lockeland Table has been cooking with love in his heart since at least age 8. That’s when he began giving his “hard-working mother some time off,” he says. “I enjoyed cooking more than I did my homework. She allowed me to do that.”
Chef Hal Holden-Bache of Lockeland Table has been cooking with love in his heart since at least age 8. That’s when he began giving his “hard-working mother some time off,” he says. “I enjoyed cooking more than I did my homework. She allowed me to do that.”
He also realized he liked to cook because he liked to eat. “At some point in time you gotta learn to feed yourself,” he says.
The love--and independence--that comes along with learning to cook was a theme important to both Holden-Bache and Lockeland'sPastry Chef Jaime Miller. The two chefs visited The Nashville Food Project this year as volunteers.
Jaime, a chef-participant in TNFP's first RISE event last December, took an interest in hospitality as a way to find freedom in life. She wanted to be on her own at age 15. So, she graduated high school early and found work in restaurants as soon as she could. But even as she sought independence, the experiences helped her appreciate family. “It made me realize how talented my mom was,” she says.
At The Nashville Food Project, Miller and Holden-Bache’s experience and talent showed as they floated effortlessly around the kitchen to prepare a gourmet meal for 75 men and women who reside at the John Glenn Residential Center in North Nashville.
The ingredients for their meal had been gleaned or donated from at least six different sources. Miller worked on a sheet pan of cubed sweet potatoes from Delvin Farms laced with kale that had been donated from a local catered event. She added apple gleaned from Whole Foods Market along with raisins and garlic before drizzling it with honey and slipping it into the oven.
Meanwhile, Holden-Bache prepped pork loin and pancetta donated earlier this year after a meat conference at Gaylord Opryland Hotel. He flavored the pork with onion, mushroom and sherry from TNFP cupboards.
The community effort that is cooking in the TNFP kitchens was a perfect match for these talented chefs.
Community, after all, is a word that’s important to both Holden-Bache and Miller. They begin dinner service at the restaurant each night with Community Hour, a play on Happy Hour that offers a portion of proceeds from specially priced drinks and small plates to local causes.
Holden-Bache preferred “community table” over “café or restaurant” when naming his place. Because in thinking about feeding Nashville, he wanted to say: “We’re here for you.”
And he also says he felt drawn to the word community while reading TNFP’s mission statement: Bringing people together to grow, cook and share nourishing food, with the goals of cultivating community and alleviating hunger in our city.
“Food should be something we’re all able to do,” he says both in terms of access and preparation. He’s careful not to take it for granted by working to reduce food waste at the restaurant, to give back when he can and to reflect on his good fortune when he enjoys a meal.
“This is so good,” he recalled saying between bites to a friend recently, “We’re lucky, man.”
Chef Holden-Bache looks through gleaned food from Whole Foods with Meals Director Anne Sale.
The chef checks out TNFP's kitchen garden at Woodmont.
Herbs pulled from TNFP's kitchen garden will go into the dish.
Chefs Holden-Bache and Miller pause to taste during the cooking process.