A Taste of Julia Child’s Santa Barbara

[Photography by Jona Christina Photography]

A Conversation with Eric W. Spivey, Chairman of The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts

One of the area’s most unique annual events, Taste of Santa Barbara, held each year in May, showcases a fantastic lineup of culinary and wine-fueled experiences throughout the region. This year’s Taste was held May 13–19. In anticipation of this gastronomic celebration, I had the pleasure of speaking with Eric W. Spivey, chairman of The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts. With a deep appreciation for both wine and culinary excellence, Spivey played a pivotal role in orchestrating this weeklong event, now in its fourth year.

In our conversation, we delve into all things related to Julia Child, including his personal connection with her, the foundation’s objectives and achievements and the unique elements that make Taste of Santa Barbara a must-attend event for food and wine enthusiasts.

Thanks for taking the time to chat with me today. To begin, could you share a bit about your background and what led you to Santa Barbara?

I was born in Iowa but spent my middle school and high school years in Marin County. I came to Santa Barbara to attend UCSB in 1978. I met my wife here in January 1980, so Santa Barbara holds a special place in our hearts.

How did you cross paths with Julia Child, and was there an instant connection between you two?

I’ve been interested in food and wine since high school, and I sold wine while attending college. While at UCSB, I was invited to an inaugural event for the American Institute of Wine and Food (AIWF), which was held in Montecito. Julia was one of the founders of this organization, along with Robert Mondavi, Dick Graff, Richard Sanford and several others. But there I was, a university student in a room with 30+ industry and local supporters, and that’s where I first met Julia. We connected a handful of times during my studies at UCSB. My wife and I moved away for 18 years, but we returned in 2000, around the same time Julia was planning to move full-time to Montecito at Casa Dorinda.

What drew Julia to this beautiful area?

Julia grew up in Pasadena and spent summers in Montecito and Carpinteria during her youth. She always felt connected to this region. While living in Cambridge, MA, with her husband, Paul, they wintered here in the late 1970s and throughout much of the 1980s. They had an apartment down along Hammonds Beach, and absolutely loved it. Julia loved the weather, food, people and overall lifestyle here.

Agreed—what’s not to love? At what point did you two reconnect?

Julia and I became close friends during her final years in Montecito, bonding over our shared love for food, wine and Santa Barbara. We lived just a few minutes away and enjoyed getting out for lunches and dinners. She was an important part of my life—she helped design our kitchen remodel, taught our kids to shuck oysters, and we even shared the same birthday of August 15th, leading to several joint birthday celebrations.

Can you tell us about your involvement with The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts, including its origins and your role as chairman?

Julia established the foundation in 1995 with the vision of supporting gastronomy and the culinary arts. It didn’t become fully operational until 2006, two years after her passing on August 13, 2004. I was asked to be the chairman and I’ve been deeply involved in this role ever since. I don’t take any compensation from the foundation—everything I do is purely out of love and respect for Julia and her place in history. Julia provided the trustees (the other two are her family relatives) a lot of flexibility by not defining specific directives for the foundation, so decisions by our small team are made through the lens of “What would Julia do?”

Part of the Julia Child Foundation’s mission is to educate and encourage everyone to appreciate the joys of cooking and eating. Could you elaborate on this and what it means to you personally?

I am honored to have considered Julia as a friend and feel so fortunate to chair her foundation. Since Julia’s death, the foundation has been responsible for the Rights of Personality (name and likeness) for Julia and her future royalties from books and TV shows. In 2004 we began with $10,000 in the bank and now our assets are roughly $8 million. During this time, we have awarded more than $3 million in grants to nonprofits that align with our mission. I’m hopeful Julia would be proud of what we have accomplished, all the while protecting her name and likeness similar to how she lived her life. Please visit www.juliachildfoundation.org to learn more about the foundation.

Julia’s legacy continues to captivate people of all ages long after her passing. What do you think is the secret behind her enduring appeal?

I think it was her genuine authenticity; how she was on screen is how she was in real life. She proved that a middle-aged woman of her size, charisma and with that voice—a person who didn’t seem to fit the profile for someone on screen—could have a hugely impactful career. She was larger than life, in all the best ways.

She truly revolutionized the way our modern society thinks about and interacts with food. In your eyes, what has been her most lasting impact on the culinary world?

I would say it’s her commitment to education and to helping bring people together to understand, enjoy, and appreciate food and the broader gastronomic world.

Can you share the inspiration behind the Taste of Santa Barbara event, and how it reflects Julia’s culinary philosophy and the foundation’s mission?

We established The Julia Child Award in 2015, which honors an individual in the culinary world each year. This award is distinct from other recognitions, such as the James Beard Awards, as it is a singular accolade, selected by an independent jury and award director. The award is presented each fall in Washington, D.C., at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. As the award and its fundraising support of the Food History Project at the Museum gained prominence, we began exploring the creation of an annual event to be held each spring on the West Coast. After considering potential locations in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, we decided that since our headquarters are in Santa Barbara—a place dearly loved by Julia—it was only natural to celebrate her legacy in a city she cherished. Thus, the initial concept of our Santa Barbara–focused wine and food event was born.

From the start, we wanted to help Santa Barbara increase its recognition for its culinary riches—something that would support the city and county, while shining a light on the incredible array of farms, winemakers, chefs, fishermen, restaurants and hotels we have here. So, thanks to the amazing support of many people in this community, including a wonderful advisory committee of business and civic leaders, The Julia Child Foundation created the Santa Barbara Culinary Experience (SBCE). The weeklong set of educational and experiential events SBCE offers each spring is called the Taste of Santa Barbara. This annual event supports the foundation’s mission by showcasing local food, chefs, purveyors and makers, along with promoting the value of eating and cooking locally, while a majority of the net proceeds are gifted to nonprofits in the local area.

How do you curate the participants and experiences for Taste of Santa Barbara to ensure an authentic representation of Santa Barbara’s culinary scene?

It’s a combination of things. We try to mix it up each year to keep it different, but we encourage local businesses who fit our mission and ethos to reach out to us directly. Every year is a little different, but we’ve been thrilled by the overall participation and expanding interest in the weeklong set of events.

Was there a particular event during this year’s Taste of Santa Barbara that you were especially looking forward to?

There were so many events we were excited to share with the community, from vineyard and farm tours to farmers market pop-ups, cooking classes and unique dinners. A highlight is always the Friday night farm-to-table dinner with local chefs at Casa de la Guerra, a special evening under the stars.
We offered a signature set of weekend events including Thursday’s VIP kickoff event; Friday’s farm-to-table dinner; Saturday’s Taste of Santa Barbara Wines at El Presidio; Saturday evening at a local downtown theater featured clips and conversations from Max’s “Julia” scripted series alongside the original inspiration from Julia in the original “The French Chef”; and we planned a family-oriented free event on Sunday at El Presidio. This year, we made a point to offer both ticketed and free events, along with family-friendly events, to ensure true community celebration of all things food and drink.

Sounds like it was designed to be better than ever. What would you hope people took away from their experience at Taste of Santa Barbara?

We want people to come away with a deeper appreciation for the wonderful culinary treasures Santa Barbara has to offer. It’s a fun celebration of our local food, wine and gastronomic talent. We hope it inspires people to explore more of what the Santa Barbara region has to offer, both during and well beyond this event.

Before we wrap things up, I’m curious if there are plans to evolve Taste of Santa Barbara in the future.

Our goal is to continue growing and creating a more positive impact among those who work in and enjoy the culinary arts. We want to be recognized as an important annual event (similar to the Santa Barbara International Film Festival) that brings together people from all across the country and globe to experience the world-class wine, food and broader hospitality community of Santa Barbara County. As we grow, our intention is to have an even greater impact on local nonprofits year after year.

Thank you for sharing your insights and experiences with Julia Child, the foundation and the Taste of Santa Barbara event. It’s clear that Julia’s legacy continues to inspire and shape the culinary world, and your dedication to honoring her memory is truly commendable.

Every excuse we get to pause and remember Julia is a welcome one, and we are humbled and grateful to be part of her continued legacy.

For more information on Taste of Santa Barbara, visit: www.sbce.events/taste-of-santa-barbara/