The Birmingham chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International has awarded $33,000 in scholarships and grants, including $15,000 to three women-owned businesses.
The grants went to Harvest Roots , Birmingham’s first-ever kombucha taproom; Lillie’s Cup, which sells tea, baked goods and other items at the Market at Pepper Place; and Sachai Tea Benefit Corp., which promotes Indian tea and culture.
In addition to those grants, Les Dames d’Escoffier, a philanthropic organization of women leaders in the food, beverage and hospitality industries, gave out $18,000 in scholarships to students in community colleges and four-year universities.
The scholarships went to mother and daughter Sabrina Murray and Emily Murray of Birmingham, both studying at Jefferson State Community College; Morgan McGehee of Mobile, a senior at Samford University; Kaylie Murphree of Tampa, Florida, a junior at Auburn University; Tommye Alaniz of Houston, Texas, a senior at Samford; and Dionna Gilbert of Dothan, a student at the University of Montevallo.
In addition to these scholarships, Les Dames d’Escoffier will partner with Fiesta Inc. to award a $3,000 scholarship to a woman from the Hispanic community. That scholarship will be awarded in September.
