Omaha Steaks today announced that the company will sponsor five culinary arts scholarships through the James Beard Foundation, an organization created to continue the legacy of iconic American chef, James Beard, who offered both help and encouragement to those pursuing culinary careers. The scholarships will be awarded annually to students pursuing many areas of culinary studies including cooking, baking, writing, nutrition, food studies, wine studies, and hospitality management. Students nationwide are invited to apply for the scholarships with one scholarship designated annually for a student of Omaha's Metropolitan Community College's Culinary Arts program.

"Working with the James Beard Foundation was a natural fit for us," said Omaha Steaks Senior Vice President and family owner, Todd Simon. "For many years, James Beard was a friend, advisor and creative resource to Omaha Steaks, often appearing in our advertising and crafting recipes that we promote in our cookbooks to this day. We have always had the utmost respect for James Beard and his legendary culinary expertise, and we are privileged to honor his legacy through these scholarships that enable his love of the art of cooking to live on."

About The James Beard Foundation's Scholarship Program

The James Beard Scholarship program is one of the organization's educational pillars, essential to the overall mission to celebrate, nurture, and preserve America's diverse culinary heritage and future. Since the Program's inception in 1991, the Foundation has awarded more than $3.8 million in financial aid. The scholarship program is administered with the assistance of Scholarship Management Services, a division of Scholarship America. Students may pursue many areas of culinary studies, including cooking, baking, writing, nutrition, food studies, wine studies, and hospitality management.