TOP CHEFS GET CREATIVE IN THE KITCHEN AND ON THE SLOPES AT BEAVER CREEK AND BON APPETIT CULINARY AND WINE FOCUS

Beaver Creek, Colo.—Jan. 16, 2008—Beaver Creek Resort pairs with bon appétit magazine to present the Beaver Creek and bon appétit Culinary and Wine Focus, Jan. 31-Feb. 2, 2008. Thirty guest and local chefs will participate in a Celebrity Chef Ski Race, MasterChef Challenge, Grand Tasting, cooking classes, wine and spirits seminars and more during the tenth annual winter festival.

The festival provides a unique opportunity for guests to join their favorite chefs for a weekend of ski racing and culinary indulgence. Highlights for the weekend include a new Italian fashion show, a Celebrity Chef Ski Race, the Subaru Snowshoeing Excursion, a MasterChef Challenge and the signature Grand Tasting event. Beaver Creek chefs will be joined by the following guest chefs selected by bon appétit magazine:

Cat Cora- Executive Chef, bon appétit Magazine
Lee Hefter- Executive Chef, Wolfgang Puck Worldwide

Joey Campanaro – Owner/Chef, Little Owl (New York)
Shawn McClain- Owner/ Chef, Spring, Green Zebra, Custom House (San Francisco, Las Vegas)
Mindy Segal – Owner/Chef, HotChocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar (Chicago)
Ethan Stowell- Owner/Chef, Union, Tavolàta, How To Cook a Wolf (Seattle)
Laurant Tourondel- Owner/Chef, BLT Steak, BLT Fish and BLT Prime (New York)
Richard Sandoval- Owner/Chef, Modern Mexican Restaurants, Zengo (New York, Denver)
Suzanne Tracht – Owner/Chef, Tracht’s (Los Angeles)
Ming Tsai- Owner/Chef, Blue Ginger Restaurant (Boston)

Sherry Yard- Executive Pastry Chef, Spago, (Beverly Hills)

This year, the festival has partnered with Italy’s Province of Florence consortium to host the “Food, Wine & Fashion of Florence”. This one-of-a-kind event will take place on Thursday and all proceeds will benefit the local Kimberly Lynn McDonald Foundation. Tickets are $30 and include tastings from five world-renowned Florentine chefs, demonstrations by mosaic, fresco and stone artisans, samplings of some of Italy’s top wineries, a hand bag display from Braccialini, and an exclusive fashion show from Ermanno Scervino, one of Italy’s top fashion houses. The consortium is a partnership of towns and businesses in the east Florence region of Italy charged with promoting the finest food, wine, and fashion of the Florence area.

“We’re proud to again partner with bon appétit magazine to bring some of the nation’s finest culinary and pastry talent to Beaver Creek for a weekend of indulgence and world-class skiing while showcasing Beaver Creek’s great chefs and amenities. Beaver Creek and the Province of Florence share a mutual interest in food, wine, and fashion and have therefore partnered to showcase Florentine chefs, wineries, artisans and fashion,” said Tony O’Rourke, executive director of the Beaver Creek Resort Company.

SKI FREE, STAY FREE

From Jan. 6-Feb. 13, buy four nights of lodging and four days of skiing in Beaver Creek and get a fifth night and ski day free starting at $533 per person based upon quad occupancy in a two-bedroom condominium with a five-night minimum stay.

The festival is open to public. A portion of ticket sales will be donated to local charities. To purchase tickets, visit www.bonappetitfocus.com or call Saunders Travel at 501-744-6353 for complete ski travel planning.