About the American Friends
The American Friends of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery is a tax-exempt U.S. organization founded to support the Symposium community around the world. We provide financial and institutional support for the Oxford Food Symposium held every summer in Oxford, England. Our contributions enable broader participation, nurture emerging talent, and sustain the Symposium’s mission of advancing food scholarship.
Through a series of annual grants, we have partnered with The Julia Child Foundation to support increasing Symposium participation by the rising generation of food scholars around the world. We also partner with The Julia Child Foundation to provide support for the Symposium’s annual Young Chef program to increase participation by chefs in the early stages of their careers. American Friends also provides funding for special needs that arise in the Symposium community, such as the significant financial support required in 2020 to build and launch the infrastructure for the virtual Oxford Food Sympoisum.
In 2025, thanks to donations totaling $15,100, Julia Child Foundation grant support totaling $7,500, and revenue of over $4,000 produced by our endowment fund, the American Friends will be able to provide a total of over $25,000 to support student scholarships, Young Chef grants, and special needs.
The American Friends’ officers are:
Doug Duda, president
Richard Shepro, treasurer
Laura Shapiro, secretary
Mary Margaret Chappell, communications liaison