One of coastal New England’s most venerated wine and culinary events gets hijacked in hostile takeover attempt
Nantucket resident Nancy Bean has owned and run the Nantucket Wine & Food Festival since 2013. The spring event, locally owned and run since inception, is noted on international travel calendars far and wide, drawing approximately 4,000 people to the island every May. It includes more than 50 chefs, over 50 winemakers, approximately 150 wineries and 20+ industry presenters. Without warning, it appears a Boston-based liquor retail entity has swooped in, attempting a coup of the longstanding and successful event.
While island-wide numbers for 2024 were unavailable, revenue in aggregate since the festival was launched by Denis Toner in 1996 has been significant.
“The festival has brought millions of dollars of commerce to the island over the years in the shoulder season, nestled between Mother’s Day and Memorial Day. The hotels, inns, restaurants, bars, art galleries, retail shops, ferries, planes, etc. are all open and bustling, well before the high season starts. It is a kick start to the island economy each year,” said Bean, who started her tenure with the festival in 2007 before her purchase of it 6 years later.
Dozens of collateral events associated with the celebration take place in a variety of venues, including restaurants, hotels, private homes and more, but the home base since 2013 for Bean’s sought-after event has been The White Elephant Hotel.
The relationship with the hotel, according to Bean, has been steadfast and mutually beneficial, which is why she says she was blindsided when a press release distributed nationwide by Gordon Companies, an entity that owns four retail shops and a recently purchased catering company, stated falsely that the event had been “sold” to them, that they planned to rebrand it, and that it would take place on the exact same dates as Bean’s annual festival at the same hotel at which it’s been hosted for nearly a decade.
The White Elephant was on board, claiming it was looking forward to “continuing” to host what’s become such a significant event for the island.
In a statement released by Khaled Hashem, president of Nantucket Island Resorts, the corporation that owns the hotel, the words “continue to serve as the official host for this dynamic partnership with the Gordon Companies” stands out.
Bean said there was no warning, no discussion, not even a hint that the hotel was considering being a party to what looks like straight up identity theft and specifically that she had not sold her event to Gordon’s and there was no offer being considered. She also points out that The White Elephant is not, nor has it ever been a co-owner of the Nantucket Wine & Food Festival.
“White Elephant was a venue partner. Many of the NWF events were held at their properties, and the White Elephant team was paid for their service.” she said. “There was no sign of this, no conversation about not moving forward. Just a couple of months ago, we were on fire with numbers back to (those of) 2019, every event was on time, we had spectacular reviews from wineries, guests, sponsors … we were all feeling good.”
With a one-year contract the first year, followed by two subsequent three-year contracts, the commitment between the entities changed when the pandemic occurred, putting a halt to the event for 2020 and 2021. The relationship picked up again in 2022 with three consecutive one-year deals.
Bean said she understands that contracts can change. What she didn’t understand, aside from the straight up identity theft indicated by the original press release, was why this decision would be made just as the event had reached its former glory.
In June, Bean filed a lawsuit against both Gordon’s, a former vendor at the festival, and The White Elephant. The proceedings will go forward in federal court, with the first date set for early September. Since releasing the false claim to the entirety of the global wine and food community, the parties named in the suit walked back their claim, not retracting it exactly, but issuing a “correction” on the Gordon’s website which now states they hadn’t in fact purchased the event but were starting a new one, transparently titled “The Nantucket Food and Wine Experience,” with the assertion that theirs would be better.
Concurrent with the lawsuit, Bean is now in the process of drafting a proposal which will have to compete directly with one from Gordon’s and submitted to Nantucket’s board of selectmen who will decide which event will be permitted to go forward. And while Bean has longevity and significant support from past participants, event originator Toner, and local culinary figures like Chef EJ Harvey, chef-owner of The Sea Grill and a Nantucket resident since 1981, it’s notable that the hotel’s owners are large investors on the island, owning significant real estate there. It’s not a stretch to imagine that big money may play a role in the final decision.
In a scathing letter to the editor of the Nantucket Current, Harvey said, “Any attempt to push Nancy out or rebrand this festival was blatant carpetbagging. Nantucket doesn’t need ‘bigger’ or ‘better’ – we’re already world-class. What we need is to support local brands and local women in business. We need to honor the festival’s roots – started by a local, stayed local, and it should always be local,” he wrote. “It is for this reason that I cannot sit by idly without expressing my views on what looked like an attempted takeover by Gordon’s Liquors of Waltham before they retracted a false claim that they bought out the festival when that never happened.”
Bean said her vendors, sponsors and other partners have expressed similar views. She also points out Gordon’s marked lack of experience in producing a festival of this magnitude, or anything even similar. “They’ve never produced a wine and food festival, ever.”
As to the hotel, “We’re still under contract with them through December 31,” she said, noting that part of the lawsuit addresses the fact that the White Elephant remains contractually obligated to her event and that this critical time is normally used to secure permitting, sponsors and vendors for next year, to design new logos and collateral, and foment enthusiasm among the global wine and culinary community. “The production schedule is massive, and tight, and has to be kept to. Tickets go on sale for signature events each November for the following May. The full line up of programming (50+ events) is live and on sale in January.,” she said.
And post-event press continues. While the confusion created by the lie dispersed by Gordon’s and the hotel’s original statements persists, the alleged thieves may enjoy the benefit of Bean’s hard work.
“Boston Common magazine has a recap of the 2024 event coming out this month, promoting both the Nantucket Wine & Food Festival and the hotel,” she said.
“To those who might see Nantucket as just another feather in their corporate cap,” noted Harvey in his letter, “I say this: Our island is not a commodity to be capitalized upon. It’s a vibrant, living community with its own unique culture and traditions. The Nantucket Wine & Food Festival, under Nancy’s guidance, has become an integral part of that tradition at a wide variety of important local venues. Nothing (like it) has quite captured the spirit of our community.”
Support the Nantucket Wine & Food Festival, sign the petition.
Like Newport Buzz? We depend on the generosity of readers like you who support us, to help with our mission to keep you informed and entertained with local, independent news and content. We truly appreciate your trust and support!
