BY: Liliana Rocio, Senior Editor for World Liberty TV

A joyful day of culinary discovery brings together 3,500+ chefs from across the East Coast with 270+ farmers and specialty producers from around the world, offers delightful beachside “boardwalk” programming, and spotlights industry leaders Matty Matheson, Christian Petroni, Missy Robbins, Paul Carmichael, Matt Rodbard, Tiffani Faison, Marian Chang, Tim Ma, and more.

Baldor Specialty Foods, one of the largest distributors of premium produce and specialty foods in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, returned  with  Baldor BITE 2026, the biennial gathering of hospitality professionals with the farmers and specialty producers who power and shape the modern food industry, on April 21, 2026, at Basketball City at Pier 36 in New York City.

Centered around BITE’s whimsical ethos “Play With Your Food,” BITE 2026 comes to life with a nostalgic and convivial summer boardwalk theme that aims to take chefs out of the relentlessness of the kitchen in order to enjoy some early vacation vibes.

Connecting the dots between more than 16,000 customers and over 1,000 farm and supplier partners, Baldor Specialty Foods is the trusted purveyor of choice for some of the world’s most acclaimed chefs, restaurants, and hospitality groups—including Eleven Madison Park, Le Bernardin, Major Food Group, Jean-Georges, Union Square Hospitality—alongside neighborhood favorites, quick service restaurants, hospitals, schools, retailers such as Eataly and Union Market and event spaces, like Madison Square Garden and the US Open.

“Baldor BITE is our way of turning the tables of hospitality on our customers, who provide delicious and memorable experiences to their customers every day. It’s also a way for us to enable the success of our suppliers, by helping more chefs discover their products,” says Margaret Magnarelli, VP of Marketing & Communications, who oversees the event.

“At Baldor, we say we’re the ‘to’ in the phrase ‘farm to fork’ and this day it’s a special opportunity for us to live that promise, and in an environment that is as delightful as it is delicious.”

The show floor featured 271 exhibitors representing the full catalog of Baldor’s offerings, broken up by protein, produce, dairy, bakery, and grocery areas, a pop-up Farmers’ Market featuring small regional farms like Meadows and More, Norwich Meadows Farm, and Taproot Farms, and a new Emerging Brands spotlight showcasing up-and-coming producers that need to be on culinarians’ radars.

Among the exhibitors will be B&W Quality Growers, Driscoll’s, La Trafila, Natalie’s Island Juice Co, Gotham Greens, Tanimura & Antle, Zero Acre Farms, Upside Foods, and many more.

In addition to showcasing exhibitors, BITE notably spotlights chef and supplier thought leaders through various panels and programming. The event features a keynote by chef and television personality Matty Matheson (The Bear, Just a Dash) in conversation with Chef Christian Petroni, New York Times bestselling author of Parm to Table. Other headlining talent included Matt Rodbard (Editor-in-Chief of TASTE), Chef Missy Robbins (Lilia, Misi), Chef Paul Carmichael (Kabawa), Chef Tiffani Faison (chef, restaurateur, and judge on Chopped), and Chef Tim Ma (Tim Ma Hospitality).

BITE’s summer boardwalk theme comes to life with interactive and immersive activations throughout the day, including a chef-led gourmet hot dog eating competition, food fortune telling readings, “beach” games like skeeball, cornhole, and Jenga, a fun airbrush shack, and beachside cocktails at Natalie’s Beach Club.

Plus, attendees can get first-dibs access to Baldor’s exclusive, limited-time merch collab with Only NY, an independent New York City-based lifestyle brand inspired by the city, outdoors, and arts.

The collection will feature a t-shirt ($39) and a dad hat ($36) showcasing a custom hand-drawn graphic of the Baldor truck and the food it moves.

Highlights from BITE 2026 include: Keynote Conversation: Matty Matheson: Unfiltered. A keynote conversation between chef and television personality Matty Matheson and New York Times best-selling author Chef Christian Petroni, where they will discuss restaurant culture, creativity in the kitchen, and the evolving role of chefs in shaping food communities.

The Chef’s Table: What It Takes to Achieve Success in Today’s Culinary World. Moderated by Editor-in-Chief of TASTE Matt Rodbard, this panel brings together leading chefs and restaurateurs, including Chef Missy Robbins, Chef Paul Carmichael, Tiffani Faison, and Chef Tim Ma, to explore how restaurants are evolving, from sourcing and sustainability to leadership and culinary creativity.

The Flavor Makers: From Farm to Phenomenon. How Suppliers Behind Beloved Ingredients Ensure the Best for Your Kitchen. Highlighting the farmers and producers powering restaurant kitchens, this discussion will feature Garland S. Reiter Jr., Chief Commercial Officer (Driscoll’s), Dan Rohrberg, VP of Sales (DemKota Ranch Beef), Saleena Subaiya, Founder (BKE Kombucha), Marian Cheng, Co-Founder & CBO, (Mimi Cheng’s Dumplings), and Aaron Choi, Founder (Girl & Dug Farm).

Golden Meat Co. Hot Dog Eating Contest: Chef-led gourmet hot dog eating charity competition, with participating chefs to be announced.

Cutting Demo: Golden Meat Co.: A live demonstration of a whole rib roast broken down into steaks, showcasing Baldor’s premium meat program through Golden Meat Co., its in-house butcher and meat supplier.

Cutting Demo: Pierless Fish: See the art of big fish butchery up close as Baldor’s in-house expert fishmongers demonstrate initial breakdown to portioning.

Parmesan Wheel Cracking: Italian cheese supplier Ambrosi will present a live cracking of a full wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano, showcasing traditional cheese presentation and service, and a technique-driven demonstration on how to perfect Rome’s most iconic pasta dish, Cacio e Pepe.

Pastry Demo: Strawberry Shortcake with Driscoll’s Berries. Pastry Chef Jatee Kearsley of Je T’aime Patisserie, in collaboration with Farmers Direct and Driscoll’s, will prepare a seasonal strawberry shortcake highlighting peak berries.

Demo & New Ingredient Showcase: Zucchiolo. Casa Pons and Malena Produce will introduce Zucchiolo, a new vegetable developed in South Spain, making its U.S. culinary debut through a live ratatouille demonstration that offers a fresh take on the Provençal classic.

About Baldor Specialty Foods: Baldor Specialty Foods is one of the largest distributors of premium produce, specialty foods, dairy, meat, and fish in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, with more than 16,000 customers and over 1,000 farm and producer partners. Beginning as Balducci’s Fruit Stand in New York City’s Greenwich Village in 1946, and spun off as a separate company in 1991, Baldor maintains its original commitment to freshness, flavor, quality, and service.

Baldor’s reliability and commitment to quality you can trust and service that delivers make it the purveyor of choice for some of the world’s most acclaimed chefs, restaurants, and hospitality groups, including Eleven Madison Park, Le Bernardin, Major Food Group, Jean-Georges, and Union Square Hospitality. By providing quality ingredients, innovative solutions, and seamless logistical experiences, Baldor frees up chefs’ headspace to focus on creativity rather than supply chain logistics.

This trusted network extends beyond restaurants to include corporations, hospitals, schools, and major retailers and event spaces—from Madison Square Garden to the US Open to Eataly, and beyond.

From that fruit stand push cart start, Baldor has grown into one of the largest distributors of premium food in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. While founded as a produce company, Baldor has strategically expanded its catalogue to cover the entirety of the plate, distributing over 6,000 SKUs, including specialty foods, meat (via its Golden Meat Co. acquisition), fish (via its Pierless Fish acquisition), and dairy.

The business remains in the family, under the leadership of CEO T.J. Murphy, and maintains its original commitment to freshness, flavor, and meticulous service that was praised early on by food icons like James Beard.

Underpinning Baldor’s growth is a strong commitment to sustainability and ethical sourcing, driven by a diverse network of carefully curated farm and producer partners across the country and the world.

These vendors—be they generational farmers or emerging agriculturists and makers—are true experts, and are committed not only to the highest quality food but also to social responsibility and improving the conditions for their crops and animals.

It was a very wonderful event, company’s and brands from all over the world, showcasing their great brands, thousands of people in attendance interested and learning more of the partners involved with Baldor Specialty Foods, tasting there foods and getting a deeper under5standing of the food companies.

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