LIVE Magazine Issue #253 February 24, 2017

a
www.palmdesertfoodandwine.com
event
Beekman Boys
Brent Ridge & Josh Kilmer-Purcell
“The Founders of Beekman 1802”
Television reality show personalities, authors,
and creators of lifestyle product brands.
When Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Dr. Brent Ridge
bought the Beekman Farm in upstate New York
in 2008, they didn’t just start a farm, they started a
movement. A mere five years later they already have
a hit TV show, bestselling books, product lines in
leading retailers, a massive social following, and a
James Beard nominated lifestyle website. They’ve
been featured in most major media outlets, including
The New York Times, USA Today, Vanity Fair,
The Martha Stewart Show, Rolling Stone, Dr. Oz,
Vogue, The Rosie O’Donnell Show, O Magazine,
and more.
Known best as “The Fabulous Beekman Boys”
from their hit television reality show, the duo has put
their stylish stamp on seasonal living. Their farm and
surrounding community serves as the inspiration for
their lifestyle brand, “Beekman 1802.” The brand’s
signature beauty, home food products can be found
on the shelves of Henri Bendel, Anthropologie,
Williams-Sonoma and other national retail partners.
The Beekman 1802 cookbook was launched on QVC
to record sales, and the memoir of their farm life,
The Bucolic Plague, was a national best seller. The
2011 launch of their Beek-man 1802 Blaak Cheese
resulted in a wait-list of over 7500 people.
Aarti Sequeira
Aarti Sequiera trained at the New School of Cooking in Culver City
and in 2007 earned a professional certificate. In 2008, she started an
online cooking variety show called Aarti Paarti. Drawing on the flavors
of her childhood, Sequeira uses Indian ingredients in her cooking, and
credits much of her culinary inspiration to her Indian cultural background
and her mother's influence.
In 2010, Sequeira became a participant in the
sixth season of The Next Food Network Star,
a reality series on the Food Network. She was
among 12 contestants participating in cooking
competitions and on-camera challenges to
determine who would be awarded their own
culinary show on the network.
Although Sequeira believed her experience
with the Aarti Paarti online show would give
her an advantage with the camera segments,
she instead found them to be very challenging.
Judges and critics were attracted to her bubbly
personality, sense of humor, on-screen charisma
and strong food. During the season finale
on 15 August, Sequeira was selected as winner
of The Next Food Network Star beating out two
finalists. Her show Aarti Party focuses on sharing
easy ways to enhance American favorite
dishes with simple but unique Indian influences.