Karen Cathey died today from complications from a battle with colon cancer that she had bravely fought since January 2008. Karen was the president of Bon Vivant, LLC, a food marketing consulting firm in Arlington, Va., and past chairman of The American Institute of Wine & Food that was co-founded by Julia Child and Robert Mondavi, Richard Graff and Robert Huttenback in 1981. She was founding chairman of The AIWF National Capital Area Chapter and remained active as its chairman emerita. Karen wrote her noted column “Marketing Mix” for Foodservice Monthly since our start up in 2002.
More than that Karen Cathey was a dear friend – someone with whom I could share openly my passion for fine food and wine and great hospitality. I first met Karen in the mid-nineties when she was doing public relations and marketing work for Greggory Hill at his old Gabriel restaurant where Urbana is today. I can still remember our first lunch together as we got to know each other over a two-hour plus lunch while sharing stories of past and present while looking forward with vision and purpose. Greggory’s great food emboldened our spirit and conversation. It was that kind of immediate connection where we both knew we would be friends forever. People like Karen share their goodness – their love of life. I will always remember Karen’s strength – her good will – her passion.
Karen Cathey began Bon Vivant in 1991. She started her business by doing special events for the food and wine industry, mostly restaurants and products sold in restaurants, like specialty foods and wine. Karen expanded into all areas of marketing except advertising, and always limited her clientele to the food and beverage industries.
For 18 years she had refined her expertise working on food marketing projects ranging from market research, analysis, strategy and planning for restaurants and food companies to being a marketing coach. She wrote and lectured extensively about food marketing, and she wrote a weekly cookbook review column called “Devouring Cookbooks” that was syndicated nationally.
Karen Cathey was one of 50 founding members of the Southern Foodways Alliance, an affiliated institute of the University of Mississippi.
She was a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP), the James Beard Foundation, Women Chefs and Restaurateurs, Culinary Historians of Washington (CHoW), and the National Press Club. She was a graduate of L’Academie de Cuisine and holds a bachelor’s degree in European Studies from George Mason University.
Immediate arrangements are being handled by her family in North Carolina. There will be a memorial service in the upcoming weeks here in the Washington area so her friends can come together to remember and celebrate this wonderful woman. I will announce that information as soon as the details are confirmed.
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