Chefs Charlie Loomis and Mia Littlejohn participated in a Times Free Press virtual event for subscribers only on June 11 that included a cooking demonstration by Loomis and the two talking with Times Free Press food and entertainment writer Barry Courter about the state of the food industry in Chattanooga.
Back in January, Loomis took on celebrity chef and reality TV star Bobby Flay and out-cooked him on Food Network's "Beat Bobby Flay." Now, the former Feed Co. Table & Tavern chef is furloughed because of the coronavirus pandemic and has moved back to Virginia to be with his family. During the virtual event, he made a pasta dish using ingredients one might have in the pantry at any given time.
He is also offering his own online cooking classes for a fee. Loomis said during the show that he was presenting similar cooking demonstrations for private parties tailored to whatever menu they want to create as a way to make ends meet while he searches for a new job.
Littlejohn is co-owner of Proof, a food and beverage incubator in Chattanooga that works with industry people to support, educate, accelerate and collaborate. Littlejohn discussed ways that her business has adapted, as well, offering as an example the move to create hand sanitizer using the knowledge she and co-owner Michael Robinson learned through their involvement with Chattanooga Whiskey.
Proof made 20,000 bottles of hand sanitizer and handed them out to tornado victims and Chattanoogans protesting in the wake of George Floyd's death.
Watch the video above for more interesting news about the current state of the food industry in Chattanooga.
0:00-29:20: Panel discussion
29:21-58:03: Cooking demonstration