An Annual New England Culinary Book Awards
Established 2016
A Decade of Delicious Reading.
The Readable Feast celebrates the best in New England food writing and cookbooks.
Now entering our second decade, we’re open for submissions for the 2026 awards.
2025 WINNERS & HONOREES
AWARDS
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Overall excellence as a cookbook -- must contain recipes.
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Overall excellence -- may or may not contain recipes.
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Must be specifically about New England cooking, foodways, or ingredients; may be state specific; may or may not include recipes.
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A work that focuses on a specific ingredient, technique, state, or appliance. This category may include non-alcoholic beverages; may or may not contain recipes.
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A work of fiction or nonfiction regarding food, food related travel, memoir, culinary history and biography. Quality of writing is the defining factor. May or may not contain recipes.
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Achievement in food styling, photography, and graphic design. Must contain recipes.
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A work that focuses on the impact of local and global healthy eating and food production; including nutrition, food availability, farming and fishing, political and legal issues regarding food, ethics of food, and cultural issues of food and eating. May or may not contain recipes.
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A work of history, recipes and mixology. May or may not contain recipes.
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A self-published book that excels, because of content or aesthetics. May or may not include recipes.
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A book targeted to developing and furthering cooking skills for families and children.
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Cookbook fans across the region are invited to vote online for their favorite food and cooking books of the year.
HONORS
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The K. Dun Gifford “Local Hero” award is sponsored by Oldways in honor of its founder, and recognizes a New Englander––author, educator, chef, grower, producer, activist, or academic––who has made a positive enduring impact upon our foodways.
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Honoring a New England author or food writer for their achievements as a positive role model, mentor, and numerous contributions to food.
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Honoring a book, person, or organization chosen by founders, Louisa Kasdon and Annie Copps, that they feel represents the spirit and intention of this awards program
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Honoring a New Englander for a wide-ranging and effective harnessing of the power of food and community.
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Honoring a New Englander whose lifetime of work has enhanced the fairness and the richness of our culinary community.
OUR JUDGES
Experts in their own right, our judges continue to make their mark on New England’s culinary scene. Teaching, writing, publishing, cooking, sharing their food and their wisdom.
