John Besh Feeds the Spirit of Service
With ArkelBesh, Chef Besh Creates Meal Programs for First Responders
Chef John Besh is proud to announce his landmark partnership with emergency reconstruction specialists Arkel International. Together, as ArkelBesh, the nationally recognized New Orleans chef will create high quality ready-to-eat meals that will be distributed by Arkel's worldwide network to thousands of emergency response teams and sustained strategic operations in the U.S. and internationally.
A former U.S. Marine himself, the chef-restaurateur of four of New Orleans’ most lauded culinary destinations, including August, Besh Steak (his namesake chophouse), Lüke, La Provence, and newcomers Domenica and The American Sector, Besh is excited to extend his passions for food and service throughout this new partnership. Prepared meals from ArkelBesh reward hardworking men and women whether they are stationed in New Orleans, or as far afield as Iraq or Sudan with a welcome taste of home.
In the last 50 years Arkel has established channels to safely create encampments fortified with electricity, clean water, and mobile offices in over 60 countries. The ArkelBesh partnership has over 300 restaurant personnel to rapidly deploy and responsibly deliver up to 25,000 meals a day made to client specifications, including dietary restrictions. Despite the daunting numbers, the sensitivities of mass-meal creation are well-respected and managed by a creative team led by Chef Besh, who was recognized in 2008 as Restaurateur of the Year by the Louisiana Restaurant Association.
In the days immediately following the infamous 2005 hurricane, Besh reconnected with a fellow Marine, Blake LeMaire, who was also working in the flat-bottom boats to rescue citizens stranded by the flooding. As the recovery progressed, Besh made LeMaire the general manager of his brasserie, Lüke. Possessing the discipline of a soldier and the knowledge of a businessman, Blake LeMaire has been promoted to the rank of CEO for ArkelBesh.
In the spirit of statewide resilience, New Orleanians, Besh and LeMaire, are proud to captain ArkelBesh with Baton Rouge-based Arkel International. The new initiative preserves the Gulf Coast’s rich food culture and promotes business in Louisiana. Besh and his team harvest local ingredients not only to fortify the flavors that make his restaurants so beloved, but also to support area farmers and fishermen. In 2009, Besh was awarded the Silver Spoon Award from Food Arts for his outstanding contribution to revitalizing the culinary legacy of New Orleans.
Chef John Besh’s passion for entrepreneurship is tireless, notably in the creation of Besh Restaurant Group Catering, the launch of Domenica, a friendly trattoria style restaurant in the soon-to-open Roosevelt Hotel this July, and in November, The American Sector in the newly expanded World War II museum, pays homage to the cuisine of the Americas. Besh’s forthcoming cookbook, “My New Orleans” (Andrews McMeel Publishing, October 2009) will provide insight all about his beloved city of John Besh. With Louisiana as his kitchen, Chef Besh is always creating something enticing, and ArkelBesh is yet another labor of love.