Fire culture across world cuisine — live, in Aspen and across two nights in Breckenridge. The full picture of what Global Fire is and why the story earns its space — from the fire, the chefs, and the people who've been in the room.
I've been doing this for a long time. Cochon 555 started in 2008 — a 20-city tour built around heritage breed pigs and the farmers who raise them. Heritage Fire came next: an open-air live-fire event that became a fixture of the Aspen Food & Wine Classic for years. I sold both brands in 2019 and spent time thinking about what was broken in the food event world and what I actually wanted to build next.
Global Fire launched in 2021. The premise is simple: every chef, every dish, every pour shaped by live flame. One constraint. The oldest one on earth. What happens when you give that constraint to culinary voices from Japan, Mexico, Argentina, West Africa, and America simultaneously? That question is what the event answers every year.
In Aspen, we spent two years at Smuggler Mine — the oldest operating silver mine in town, on the National Register of Historic Places. We gave it the best party of the year, twice. The event was covered, talked about, and remembered. We raised money for local causes. We did what we came to do.
This year, we're going back to our roots. Smaller. More intimate. A private residence in Aspen for 100 carefully curated people — no public access, no open ticket, no step-and-repeat. The party phase is over. The Aspen Collective is throwing their own party at Smuggler Mine now, and that's great for them. We did the party. Now we're back to what Global Fire was always supposed to be: a gathering of culinary luminaries, fire, and people who understand what that means.
In Breckenridge, it's two nights in October. The Mine on the 9th — 350 guests at Country Boy Mine, Michelin-recognized chefs, sustainable Wagyu, and the philosophy of slow intentional fire. Ridge Street on the 10th — the street closes, a free street party opens to Breckenridge, and inside a VIP enclosure, 200 guests sit at one long table for a fire-cooked experience unlike anything in Colorado.
The event has benefited local causes over the years — Aspen Public Radio among others. The specific beneficiary for each 2026 gathering will be confirmed as planning finalizes. The cause has always mattered here, but it is not the headline. The headline is the fire, the food, and the room we build around it.
For press: the story is alive in the fire, the chefs, and the people assembled. If any of those angles earns space in your coverage, we want to have the conversation. There is no paid access to these events — the only way in is through partnership or media coverage. Brady reads every inquiry himself.
"the party of the weekend" — "my most coveted non-seminar event"
Katherine Roberts Aspen Times "Foodstuff" column — 2024 recap of Global Fire Aspen. Roberts also wrote: "The event was produced in partnership with Aspen Public Radio, blending culinary excellence with community enrichment. Like the growing movement to lift sustainable practices and eco-conscious standards in the food industry, there is also a growing movement to lift local journalism, rebuild it, and sustain it."
"the most Aspen-centric experience of the entire weekend"
Kelly J. Hayes Aspen Times / WineInk — describing Global Fire Aspen at the 2025 Food & Wine Classic. Hayes also called Brady Lowe "a culinary evangelist who has made more Aspen memories for visitors than just about anyone who doesn't call this place home."
"Last Saturday night was pure Aspen magic — fire, flavor, and community high above town. Guests explored the historic tunnels, watched flames rise over tomahawks and Colorado corn, and sipped wines from Spain to Sonoma as the sun set behind Aspen Mountain."
"Global Fire hands down had the best bites for the weekend. I did not make it to the top of the mountain, but the views from here were pretty good too."
"Four years ago, Global Fire was born from a desire to reimagine live-fire cooking — not just as a culinary spectacle but as a way to honor the earth, reduce environmental impact, and celebrate the deep traditions that connect us all through food."
"The Mine Event during Aspen Food & Wine Festival is unlike anything I have to compare it to. Chefs of immense talent reveling in the moment and leaning into a common joy. Last year was amazing this year was even better. Thrilled to be there!"
Global Fire is not a single angle. It is a set of questions that open depending on the publication and the readership. These are the ones we think earn the most space.
What does it mean for a chef to work only with live flame? How does the oldest technique reveal the cook? James Beard Award-winners like Kelly Whitaker and Matt Vawter alongside international voices like Sweden's Nicolai Tram — all working under the same constraint. The cultural and culinary philosophy story.
Aspen's oldest silver mine. National Register of Historic Places. Guests in hard hats touring tunnels where bites and cocktails are served underground, then emerging to chefs working over open flame at the best sunset view in the Rockies. The venue IS the story — and no other event during the Food & Wine Classic uses it this way.
Japanese binchotan. Argentine asado. West African wood fire. Mexican open flame. What happens when culinary traditions that share an element but nothing else gather at the same fire? Brady Lowe has been asking that question since 2021 — and the answer gets richer every year.
An outdoor live-fire gathering in Colorado's high country — and what responsible stewardship looks like when fire is at the center. How Global Fire approaches land stewardship, sustainable sourcing, and environmental reverence without the language of permits and liability waivers. A story for sustainability-minded and outdoor-culture outlets.
He built Cochon 555 into a 20-city national tour, then Heritage Fire into a Food & Wine Classic fixture, then sold both and started over. Global Fire is what he built when he had nothing left to prove. The founder profile for food industry and entrepreneurship coverage.
Global Fire · Fire culture across world cuisine · Breckenridge · October 9–10, 2026
For broadcast-quality footage or raw b-roll, contact brady@tastenetwork.com after credential approval.
Credentialed media access to the programming, chefs, and gathering — for the duration of coverage. Both events available depending on outlet and fit.
High-resolution event photography available for editorial use following the event. Attribution required. Asset delivery details confirmed at credentialing.
Coordinated access to participating chefs for pre-event or day-of interviews. Advance scheduling required. Brady Lowe available for founder profile interviews.
Full press kit including event overview, chef bios, brand guidelines, and high-res images. Available via the Promo Kit page or directly upon credentialing.
Pre-event briefing call with Brady Lowe available for outlets planning advance coverage. Scheduled 2–4 weeks ahead of each gathering.
Event recap package — key moments, chef quotes, and supplementary photography — delivered within 72 hours of each gathering for outlets that need it.
Fire culture across world cuisine. Two Colorado landscapes. Chefs from six continents working with the oldest technique on earth. The story earns its space — and so do the right voices covering it.