Well Fed Network

If you’re a regular reader, you caught our announcement in December, heralding the start of the 2008 Food Blog Awards.  We are pleased to present our distinguished panel of judges and the fourteen categories that will be up for your nomination pleasure today.

Judges:

Andrew Barrow  - There was a question doing the rounds awhile back - ”what do you do outside the food and drink field?”  For Andrew, the answer was “very little.” “Immersed” is a word that could be used (as are several others not quite so complementary!). As well as his own blogs — spittoon (which covers wine and drink) and spittoonextra (more food orientated) — he writes for several websites with a little wine consultancy on the side. Photography is a recently re-awakened passion, having had many photographs and travel articles published. Now even that focus is on food and wine. Andrew is a WSET Diploma holder, has a geeky side, and has recently moved to an apartment housed in a converted 19th century foundry in the river-side town of Wallingford, Oxfordshire, England.

Amanda Berne - Recipes editor for Martha Stewart Living and Weddings, and a monthly columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, Amanda Berne spent eight years in the Bay Area eating her way through restaurants, markets, and whole neighborhoods. She’s now a New York-based writer and editor, eating her way through the five boroughs. She is a trained chef and loves a great Manhattan on the rocks.

Sarah Caron - Sarah is a freelance writer and editor who traded an on-staff position at the educational magazine publisher Weekly Reader for the glitzy glam of a 20-step commute and the ability to work in her PJs. A graduate of Barnard College, she has won several Excellence in Journalism awards from the Society of Professional Journalists for her work with the New Haven Register. In addition to her magazine and newspaper work, Sarah is a parenting columist for SheKnows, a tech and family blogger for Family Eden, co-owner and managing editor of The Voice of Mom and writes a variety of other technical blogs. Here on the Well Fed Network, Sarah edits Fit Fare, Well Fed On The Town, and The Cook’s Kitchen. Her personal food blog is Sarah’s Cucina Bella, a site that focuses on family and food.

Owen Linderholm - Owen has been a professional writer and editor for over 20 years. More importantly, he has been a food blogger since 2002 and is the publisher and editor of the first (and only) compilation of the best writing from food blogs around the world, Digital Dish. He is also the founder of the completely obscure but fascinating Paper Chef event for food bloggers. Owen was one of the judges for the Food Blog Awards in its first year and can whistle and hum simultaneously.

Cate O’Malley - Cate is the Owner of the Well Fed Network.  When not running Well Fed, Cate’s work can also be found on her own sites, Sweetnicks, The Voice of Mom and Mad About Martha, and she is also a writer for MyRecipes and Hearst’s Delish.com site. In addition, she runs her own travel agency and provides marketing consulting for an engineering firm.

Behind the Scenes Assistance:

Chris Arpante - By day, Chris is a middle school administrator in metro Atlanta, Georgia. While she enjoys trying working with her feisty, at-risk teens, her blog, Mele Cotte has been a culinary journey that evoked her love and passion for food. While she would love to work with food on a full time basis, she will continue with her blogging personally and for Well Fed sites until that day.

Faith Kramer - Faith blogs her food regularly at Blog Appetit.  She also writes for several Well Fed sites.  Her most recent non-blogging accomplishment was her participation in Greenwood Press’ The Business of Food: An Encyclopedia of the Food and Drink Industries (more info can be found here).

Categories for the 2008 Food Blog Awards:

1. Best Food Blog – Chef

2. Best Food Blog – City

3. Best Blog Covering Drinks (Alcohol/Non-Alcohol)

4. Best Food Blog - Family/Kids

5. Best Food Blog – Group

6. Best Food Blog – Humor

7. Best Food Blog - Industry

8. Best Food Blog – Photography

9. Best Food Blog – Post

10. Best Food Blog – Rural

11. Best Food Blog – Theme

12. Best Food Blog – Writing

13. Best New Food Blog

14. Food Blog of the Year