Chefs Gala Honoree, James Beard Award-winning Chef, Restaurateur, and Author Kwame Onwuachi, Joined 30+ Outstanding Chefs, Distillers, and Mixologists to Celebrate the Nonprofit’s Mission
October 21, 2026 – Saddle Brook, NJ – Table to Table, New Jersey’s first and largest food rescue organization, celebrated its 2026 Chefs Gala presented by American Express with Chef Honoree and James Beard Award-winning Chef, Restaurateur, and Author Kwame Onwuachi, along with more than 30 outstanding chefs, craft brewers, wineries, mixologists, and distillers. Over 300 guests came together for the gourmet evening that raised more than $600,000 to support the organization’s food rescue mission and future growth.
During the program, Executive Director Heather Thompson shared the big news that the 27-year-old nonprofit will be relocating its headquarters to Englewood within the next several months. The new space will include a warehouse that will significantly increase the organization’s cold storage space, expanding their capacity to rescue even more nutritious surplus food. Click here to learn more and make a gift to support Table to Table’s growth.
“This year’s Chefs Gala was a powerful celebration of what can happen when compassionate people come together for a common purpose,” said Heather Thompson, Executive Director of Table to Table. “We are deeply grateful to Chef Honoree Kwame Owuachi, our Chef Co-Chairs Jamie Knott and Ryan DePersio, our incredible culinary talent, and every supporter who believes that good food should never go to waste while our neighbors go hungry. Their support is helping us take a bold leap forward with our new headquarters, which will increase our capacity and enable us to rescue and deliver enough fresh, healthy food for an additional 1.5 million meals or more in our first year alone,” Thompson concluded.
Table to Table’s new Englewood headquarters and warehouse will feature two full-sized loading docks, space for volunteer food packing events, and most importantly, enough refrigerator and freezer space to store up to 150 pallets worth of fresh fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and dairy at any given time. With nearly 3 billion pounds of surplus food produced every year in New Jersey – much of which goes to waste – Table to Table will be poised to ensure even more of that nourishing food is delivered to struggling New Jersey families.
About The Chefs Gala
Far from a typical banquet fundraiser, Table to Table’s Chefs Gala brings together the region’s top culinary talent, creating unique personal dining experiences in the setting of an elegant Gala with unforgettable cuisine, impeccable wine pairings, an exciting live auction, and so much more—all in support of Table to Table’s mission to rescue food, reduce food waste, and relieve hunger in our New Jersey communities.
At this year’s Chefs Gala, Table to Table welcomed new members to its Founder’s Table: Elisabeth Durbetaki†, Debbie and Emil Iannone, and Ilene Isaacs. The Founder’s Table was established in 2023 by Table to Table’s Founder Claire Insalata Poulos to recognize individuals, companies, and foundations that have provided extraordinary support to the nonprofit over its 27-year history.
Crossroads Companies, which has partnered with Table to Table as their general contractor on the relocation project, was recognized with the 2026 Mission Impact Award.
Sponsors for this year’s Table to Table’s Chefs Gala included: American Express (Presenting); Crestron (Grand); Arca Restaurant and Lounge, The Hildes Family, Inserra ShopRite Supermarkets, and Summit Associates (Platinum); Sal Lauretta for Men (Gold); Benner’s Autobody, Crossroads Companies, OTG Properties, Bergen Highlands/Ramsey Rotary Club, Takasago, Tito’s, and Wegmans (Silver), and Charles Schwab, Columbia Bank Foundation, Englewood Health, Mannino, Silverman Shin & Schneider PLLC, and Wakefern Food Corp./ShopRite (Bronze).
To help support Table to Table’s growth, you can make a donation today. The organization relies entirely on community support to continue growing its efforts. For more information on Table to Table, visit www.tabletotable.org.
† In memoriam
About Table to Table
Table to Table (http://www.tabletotable.org) is New Jersey’s first and largest food rescue nonprofit, bridging the gap between nourishing food that is needlessly wasted and people facing food insecurity. The organization rescues nutritious surplus food from hundreds of supermarkets, distributors, farms, restaurants and schools, and delivers it free of charge to over 250 community pantries, social service organizations, pantries, shelters, and other nonprofit partners. Through their efforts, they provide fresh food to hundreds of thousands of children, families, older adults, veterans, and others who face food insecurity, while also creating a positive environmental impact by keeping food out of landfills. Since1999 they have rescued more than 133,271 tons of nutritious food, enough to provide 266,542,863 meals for neighbors in need, while preventing 612 metric tons of methane from impacting climate change.
Contact:
Maria Sinopoli, Director of Marketing Communications msinopoli@tabletotable.org
