Location: Encino, California
Websites: thecleverroot.com, tastingpanelmag.com, sommjournal.com
Specialty/Focus: Publisher of wine, spirits, and culinary magazines
Photo: Meridith May, photographed at one of her favorite restaurants, Thomas Hill Organics, in Paso Robles, CA
Tell us about The Clever Root?
The Clever Root will focus, first and foremost, on working chefs. The topics we will cover will range from unique ingredients to farming – tying in everything that grows and the people that grow them: fruit, flower, farm, leaf. Although the chef will be the star throughout, The Clever Root will also offer the first academic, smart look at cannabis, from clonal selection to scientific research.
Are there any other publications out there focusing on the ties between farmers, ranchers, and chefs?
There are a couple of competitive titles such as Modern Farmer and Lucky Peach, although we will offer a more comprehensive, 360-degree approach.
What do you plan to do differently?
First and foremost, we spotlight the PEOPLE in our industry– in all three publications. Second, the connection to cannabis and its impact on the future of our industry will really help the Clever Root stand out.
What do you hope to accomplish with the Clever Root?
We hope to bring the Chef back to the spotlight but also turn the lens on the ranchers, growers and producers who don’t always get the attention they deserve. The farm-to-table movement has put an emphasis on fresh and local ingredients, and we will dive deeper, examining these relationships and interactivities.
Will there be specific regions you are going to focus on?
The Clever Root will be a national publication, and the first of ours to hit consumer newsstands. Keep an eye out for it!
How will you find farmers/ranchers and chefs to feature?
We will work closely with Chef’s Roll to find farmers and chefs to feature in our pages and on our website, starting with our inaugural issue! We’ve got a Chef’s Roll Call section in each issue where we’ll be taking a look at some of the Chef’s Roll stars!
Tell us about your current publications (The Tasting Panel and Somm Journal).
The Tasting Panel is the most widely circulated national magazine for the wine and spirits industry. We take a broad market, entertaining and colorful look at brands and the people behind the brands through essays on buyers, retailers, distributors and the folks who make things tick and keep the trends moving forward.
The SOMM Journal has been resurrected from an underground magazine for sommeliers and wine geeks to a nationally distributed magazine, reaching 65,000 wine buyers, academics, winemakers, importers and other influencers in the wine world. We are a dynamic publication that strives to educate in the pages of the magazine, as well as through interactive events and tastings.
How did you get into the culinary publication business?
I was a food and wine writer and got hired by a large California trade publication to be Editor and then Associate Publisher: Patterson’s Beverage Journal, which I later bought, with Anthony Dias Blue, James Beard Award-winner and longtime bon vivant. Patterson’s was later rebranded and revived as the Tasting Panel Magazine, and the rest, as they say, is history!
Want to be featured in The Clever Root? Email info@thecleverroot.com to find out more and be sure to include a link to your Chef’s Roll profile!
Learn more about Industry Professional Meridith May on her Chef’s Roll profile HERE.
Are you a Chef, Culinary Photographer, Food Stylist, Food Blogger, Farmer, or other Culinary Professional? Join & be featured on our network HERE.
