Barton Seaver & Eric Wynkoop - The Chefs Debate

*Barton Seaver* is one of the world’s leading sustainable seafood experts and educators. He traded his illustrious career as an award-winning chef leading top seafood restaurants, DC, for traveling the world as an Explorer with the National Geographic Society. Barton translated his experiences into leadership in sustainable seafood innovations, garnering him positions with the United States Culinary Ambassador Corp, the University of New England, the New England Aquarium, and the Harvard School of Public Health. Barton works on initiatives to inform consumers and institutions about how our choices for diet and menus can promote healthier people, resillient ecosystems, more secure food supplies, and thriving communities. An internationally recognized speaker, Barton has delivered lectures, seminars, and demos to a multitude of audiences. He has written seven seafood-centric books, including For Cod and Country and American Seafood and has contributed to dozens of publications, including Cooking Light, The New York Times, and Saveur, among many others. He has appeared on 60 Minutes, CNN, NPR, 20/20 and the TED Talk stage. He is the founder of Coastal Culinary Academy, a multi-platform initiative that seeks to increase seafood consumption through seafood-specific culinary education for all levels of cooks. *Eric Wynkoop* previously served as a founding faculty member at The International Culinary School, instructor in anthropology at Portland State University, and Senior Instructor at the Le Cordon Bleu program at Western Culinary Institute, in Portland, Oregon. He holds Master’s Degrees in postsecondary education and cultural anthropology, as well as credentials in Ayurveda wellness and cooking. Eric has spent more than twenty years in the food and beverage industry. His experiences include banquet management, catering, personal chef, winery cellar hand, educator, textbook contributor, consultant, and ethnographer. He also brings food and cultural insight from nearly a decade of residence in Japan, studies in Mexico, and research in India as a Fulbright Scholar. After graduating from the University of Oregon with a dual degree in Japanese and Asian Studies, he went on to receive his formal culinary training at Western Culinary Institute, in Portland, Oregon. Eric’s role with Rouxbe is central to enhancing the student experience through quality course content and new course development at Rouxbe. Eric is also the lead instructor in Rouxbe courses, a role which he has enjoyed since 2016.