Windstar Cruises & James Beard Foundation 10th Anniversary

Windstar Cruises & James Beard Foundation 10th Anniversary.

Set Sail with the Official Cruise Line of the James Beard Foundation

Imagine going on a grocery trip with your favorite chef to pick out ingredients for dinner at a local market and then learning techniques that they use to create a perfectly seasoned dish, where the flavors sing in harmony and notes of spices spark off your tongue. Listen to their stories and ask for their recommendations on their favorite restaurants and recipes. It’s not just about the food and wine, but also getting to know these epicurean experts on a personal level. This is Windstar’s James Beard Foundation Culinary Themed Cruise experience, and it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience to taste dishes from some of the most sought-after James Beard Foundation chefs.

It’s the perfect pairing. Windstar Cruises and the James Beard Foundation are partnered to bring you culinary experiences that are 180 degrees from ordinary. Through this program, Windstar works with the James Beard Foundation to bring together some of the most talented chefs on themed cruises and in our dining program.

Imagine dining on dishes created by not just one celebrity chef, but a list of all-stars with the likes of Maxime Bilet (The Cooking Lab), Evan Hanzcor (Egg), and Jose Mendin (Pubbelly Noodle Bar, Habitat, Baja Bao) every single night in our main Amphora dining room. For a truly beyond ordinary experience, join us on our themed cruises featuring James Beard Foundation chefs and beverage experts, a foodie’s dream, with chef demos, dishes created by chef themselves, and market tours. And learn their secrets as you watch demos of their recipes on every sailing.

The James Beard Foundation was created to recognize and celebrate the chefs, writers and restaurateurs who advance America’s culinary arts. This emphasis on innovation and excellence pairs perfectly with Windstar’s superior service, intimate ambiance and drive to constantly innovate its cuisine. The James Beard Foundation nominates and chooses winners of the James Beard Awards, referred to as the Oscars of the restaurant industry.

As the Official Cruise Line of the James Beard Foundation, we’re able to work with over 20 of the best chefs to create the extraordinary dishes on our nightly menu and in our culinary demos. Windstar is celebrating the 10th anniversary of our partnership in 2025. To mark this special occasion, we're thrilled to announce the return of several beloved chefs who have sailed with us in the past.

Meet The Chef - Jennifer Hill Booker

Chef Jennifer Hill Booker has taken her Southern culinary heritage, her belief in healthy, seasonal foods and her classic French training to create a unique cuisine — Modern Southern Healthy Cuisine with a French Accent. She wears many culinary hats as chef: cookbook author of Field Peas to Foie Gras: Southern Recipes with a French Accent and Dinner Déjà Vu: Southern Tonight, French Tomorrow, reality TV personality, culinary educator and owner of Bauhaus Biergarten, in Springdale Arkansas. Chef Jennifer currently sits on the James Beard Foundation Food Waste Advisory Council.

Join Chef Jennifer on Windstar Cruise ship Star Legend for the James Beard Foundation: Baltic Beauty Cruise.