Delebrity chef Matt Haley was working a food truck in Puerto Rico when he got the call—no less than the esteemed James Beard Foundation phoned to say he had been honored with its Humanitarian of the Year Award. “When I got off the phone, I hung my head between my legs and just cried,” Haley says. “It felt like, at that moment, my life had come full circle.” Within days, Haley learned of two more big honors: the 2014 National Restaurant Association and International Association of Culinary Professionals humanitarian awards. The James Beard Awards recognize culinary professionals for excellence and achievement. Past humanitarian honors have been awarded to big-name chefs like Emeril Lagasse and Charlie Trotter. Haley is known locally for his successful group of beach-area restaurants such as Blue Coast Seafood Grill, and he is known for helping everyone from local youth and immigrants to children and farmers around the world. The award presentation will be made at the Lincoln Center in New York this month. “This one goes to the people of Delaware who have stood by me, especially in the nonprofit and restaurant world,” Haley says. “There are a thousand people who deserve a piece of this award.”
