CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, OFFERS VISITORS “A TASTE OF HISTORY”

Carolina Food Pros TM offers culinary tours every Saturday, beginning this June

CHARLESTON, SC
May 11, 2004

Charleston, South Carolina, one of the South’s top culinary destinations, is offering a new dimension to its downtown’s historic walking tours. Beginning this June, visitors will “get a taste” of Charleston’s history, spanning 300 years, on weekly culinary heritage tours. Sponsored by Carolina FoodPros TM, a company based out of Charleston whose mission is to help preserve and promote the region’s native foods, the tours will run every Saturday, beginning at 9:30 a.m., at the Charleston Visitor Center, located on Meeting Street in downtown Charleston.

Amanda Dew Manning, President of Carolina FoodPros TM and a certified tour guide, will take visitors on a walking tour through Charleston’s culinary district. Each tour will consist of three stops; guests will be taken to the city’s popular Farmers’ Market, specialty shops, chocolatiers and bakeries. Experts at Carolina FoodPros TM will fulfill the top two reasons why visitors flock to Charleston: they will offer a taste of delicious Southern food served along with the history of the Holy city.

At the Farmers’ Market, visitors will meet some of the area’s farmers, the core of South Carolina’s culinary world, as well as taste native foods, including muscadine wine, real stone ground grits, Pluff Mud and peach salsa. Following the escapade through the market, Manning will take visitors shops for a unique hands-on journey to some of the area’s bakeries and specialty shops, such as local favorite, Kennedy’s Bakery, where fresh breads and cakes are made every day.

Tours are approximately two hours, and can hold up to 20 people. Cost is $35.00 per person. Discounts are available. To receive the discount, purchase tickets at the Charleston Visitor Center in downtown Charleston, Monday-Sunday. Doors open at 9 a.m. Tickets are also available through Carolina FoodProsTM. Please visit www.carolinafoodpros.com or call 843-722-3366.

In addition to Saturday Walking Culinary Tours, visitors of Charleston can join Manning for a guided tour of The Bountiful Coast exhibit and a culinary walking excursion through historic downtown Charleston. The walk winds through some of Charleston’s oldest, most beautifully restored neighborhoods, including Heyward-Washington House, en route to tasting stops selected from artisan bakeries, food markets, specialty shops or chocolatiers. Tours are available Fridays from November 26, 2004 through September 9, 2005 and run from 2:00-5:00 p.m. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased at the Charleston Visitors Center at 375 Meeting Street or by calling (843) 723-3366. Reservations are required.

Located in historic downtown Charleston, Carolina FoodProsTM was founded in 2001 by South Carolina native Amanda Dew Manning and Robert M. Manning as a division of the highly successful nutrition and food consulting business Amanda Dew Manning & Associates, Inc. A nationally known nutritionist, Amanda Dew Manning, M.S., M.P.A., has served two terms on the National Board of Directors of the American Institute of Wine and Food (AIWF) and chaired AIWF’s national Days of Taste Committee. She is active in the Southern Foodways Alliance and is a special correspondent for the Charleston Mercury. Robert M. Manning, M.B.A., business administrator and marketing specialist, works to ensure that Carolina FoodPros™ utilizes best business practices and provides outstanding customer service.

Media Contact:
Sherrie Bakshi/Vladia Jurcova
STYLEE Public Relations
sherrie@styleepr.com/vladia@styleepr.com
843-906-2579/843-345-3275