Mount Vernon baker Aaron Hall of The Local Crumb named James Beard Award semifinalist

Mar. 1, 2022 6:00 am

MOUNT VERNON — A Mount Vernon baker has been named a James Beard Award semifinalist.

Aaron Hall, baker at The Local Crumb, was named among the semifinalists for Outstanding Baker last week. He is one of only two Iowa semifinalists for the prestigious award in any category.

This year, the voting body has been broadened to include food experts beyond traditional media critics and chefs. After an extensive audit in 2021, categories have been reconfigured to allow for broader geographic diversity by giving California, New York and Texas their own categories.

Kevin Scharpf, chef at Brazen Open Kitchen in Dubuque, was named a semifinalist for the award for Best Chef: Midwest.

Finalists will be announced March 16.

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