Anolon® Sponsors Slow Food Nation

Slow Food USA’s Inaugural Culinary Event Heralds the Launch of Anolon Ultra Clad and Anolon Chef Clad Cookware

VALLEJO, CA (May 15, 2008) – Anolon®, the gourmet authority, proudly announces its sponsorship of Slow Food Nation, the upcoming American inaugural culinary event of Slow Food USA, the prestigious non-profit organization working for a world in which all people can eat delicious food that is good for them, good for the people who grow it, and good for the planet. Anolon will be the exclusive kitchenware sponsor of Slow Food Nation, founded by Alice Waters, America’s legendary chef, cookbook author and long-time Slow Food advocate.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Slow Food Nation in making their first-ever event a great success,” says Suzanne Murphy, Vice President of Marketing at Meyer Corporation, U.S. “Slow Food Nation will be a transformative experience, bringing together a cadre of home cooks, influential chefs and foodies who care about eating food that is fresh, wholesome and produced using sustainable methods.”

“Partnering with Anolon is a natural fit for Slow Food Nation, where we will encourage people to spend more time preparing food at home using great cookware,” says Anya Fernald, Executive Director of Slow Food Nation. “We see cooking as a link between the big picture goals of sustainability in the food system and what every individual can do at home.”

Anolon’s partnership with Slow Food Nation heralds the launch of Anolon Ultra Clad and Anolon Chef Clad Cookware — two new state-of-the-art cookware collections featuring professional-style, permanently bonded clad metal craftsmanship with stainless steel cooking surfaces. Exquisitely crafted with distinctive design features, the two high-performance, dishwasher safe and induction-ready collections will debut at retail nationwide in Fall 2008.
Anolon’s sponsorship of Slow Food Nation, which takes place in San Francisco over Labor Day weekend (August 29 – September 1, 2008), will encompass multiple activities, including the exclusive use of Anolon cookware and complementary Anolon kitchen products (bakeware, kitchen tools, cutlery, etc.) during cooking demonstrations by acclaimed chefs. The chef cooking demonstrations will be housed in a specially designed, environmentally friendly “Green Kitchen.” Additionally, as the exclusive kitchen sponsor of Slow Food Nation, Anolon will work closely with the organization to support its efforts in communicating to consumers the importance of choosing foods that are “good, clean and fair.”

Slow Food Nation will present an extraordinary range of activities, including a major conference on food values, social justice and the environment; workshops, forums, films and interactive exhibits; a farmer’s market showcasing California growers and artisan producers; tastings and feasts; chef’s demonstrations; an urban farm; and a two-day music festival, all highlighting the inextricable link between delicious, nutritious food, land stewardship, and social and economic equality. Located in San Francisco’s Civic Center and Fort Mason Center, Slow Food Nation is expected to attract 50,000 – 60,000 people from around the Bay Area and across the country.

Established in 2000, non-profit Slow Food USA has grown to 185 local chapters with key members, including culinary professionals and foodies. The Slow Food Movement was founded in Rome in 1989 and has flourished in 131 countries around the globe. Currently supported by 83,000 members worldwide (16,000 members in the U.S.), Slow Food’s ethos is defined by the belief that food is a common language and a universal right, and an appreciation for slowing down and savoring the convivial traditions of the table. Slow Food USA believes that pleasure and quality of life is greatly increased when we make time to cook and share meals with family and friends using ingredients that honor our traditions and our land.

For further press information, please contact Julia Stambules at JS Public Relations in Westchester, NY (914-961-0282); Julia@jspublicrelations.com, or Naomi Starkman, Slow Food Nation’s Communications Director in San Francisco, CA (415-369-9950); Naomi@slowfoodnation.org.

Anolon is a fast-growing and dynamic brand in the gourmet cookware industry, offering a wide range of distinctive collections, such as new for 2008 Anolon Chef Clad, Anolon Ultra Clad and Anolon Advanced Bronze. Other key collections include Anolon Advanced cookware and high-quality bakeware, cutlery, kitchen gadgets and tools. Anolon is the premier brand offered by Vallejo, California-based Meyer Corporation U.S., the largest cookware company in the United States. In addition to Anolon, brands sold by Meyer Corporation U.S. include Circulon®, Farberware®, KitchenAid®, Rachael Ray®, Paula Deen® and SilverStone®.

Slow Food Nation is dedicated to creating a framework for deeper environmental connection to our food. Our mission is to forge a food system that is sustainable, healthy and delicious. Slow Food Nation is a subsidiary non-profit of Slow Food USA, which is part of the international Slow Food movement. For more information, please visit www.slowfoodnation.org.