Fresh Air Retreat in Charleston, SC
The three-day Fresh Air Retreat in Charleston, SC brought together an inspiring group of food bloggers for a weekend of connection, collaboration, and, of course, amazing food. I came back refreshed, with plenty of ideas to implement to (hopefully) allow my business to continue to grow. Content creation can be a pretty isolating job when you work from home, so it was refreshing to gather with such smart, driven women to share ideas and tackle common challenges – from SEO deep dives to social media strategy sessions. This was actually my second Fresh Air Retreat, as I was lucky enough to be asked back as an alumni. You can read more about my experience at the Fresh air retreat in Miami, Florida I also attended.
Read on for a full recap about what exactly happens at a food blogger retreat, the sponsors, the food and who else attended!
The People
This was the 13th Fresh Air Retreat! Our marvelous hosts Liz Della Croce, of the Lemon Bowl, and Lauren Grier from The Curious Palate made sure every detail was taken care of during the 3-day retreat. Liz’s cocktail creations (mocktails for me) and Lebanese apps, and Lauren’s gorgeous tablescapes leveled up every meal. They brought along Chef Trimell, who cooked our incredible meals at the house, and Amanda Kamppinen, the photographer, who is not only so talented at capturing food, but people as well! It was so nice to have her capturing the experience so we could focus on learning and networking!
I am so grateful to this unique group of women for all they taught me, and I value their continued friendship! Liz and Lauren do a great job of bringing together bloggers with different specialities and strong suits so we can all benefit in learning from each other.
Attendees included:
- Annie Holmes from Sweet Peas and Saffron
- Monique Volz from Ambitious Kitchen
- Hetal Vasavada from Milk and Cardamom
- Eden Passante from Sugar and Charm
- Elizabeth Van Lierde from Everyday Elizabeth
- Liz Thomson from I Heart Vegetables
The Food
At the house
Of course, a retreat for food bloggers wouldn’t be complete without amazing meals – and Chef Trimell truly outdid himself. From a warm welcome dinner to an egg-centric breakfast with our sponsor, Happy Egg, every bite was thoughtful and delicious. He also served up a vibrant Thai-inspired lunch and closed out the retreat with an elegant five-course dinner that was nothing short of unforgettable. My favorite bite from his series that he calls “poetry on a plate” was a salad of peaches and cornbread with pickled red onion and whipped burrata.
Restaurants
We were lucky to be hosted at some of the city’s spectacular restaurants. After a sunset happy hour, we headed to the Italian restaurant Frannie and the Fox for a family-style dinner. From beef and pork meatballs with whipped ricotta to wood-fired mushroom pizza with fontina, it’s a great restaurant for a group. Explore Charleston treated us to lunch at Sullivan’s Seafood and Bar on Sullivan’s Island. Don’t miss the baked oysters, a Charleston specialty, paired with fermented chili, breadcrumbs and a squeeze of lemon!
Retreat
One of the things I love most about these retreats is how openly everyone shares their successes. Instead of gatekeeping strategies, there’s a genuine desire to support one another by offering insights into what’s worked, and how they’re navigating the ever-evolving world of social media and recipe creation.
A highlight for me is the problem-solving lightning round. Each person has three minutes to share a challenge they’re facing, followed by 90 seconds of input from the group. It’s fast-paced, collaborative, and packed with thoughtful advice from others who have faced (or are currently facing) similar struggles. This time, we also had the opportunity to join a session led by the wonderful social media coach Sabrina Loyer, who guided us through a meditation to reconnect with our inner child and tap into our creativity.
If you are interested in attending one of the upcoming Fresh Air Retreats (the next one is in San Diego in the fall!) you can submit an application.
Our Sponsors
A huge shout out to the incredible brands and companies that help make the Fresh Air Retreat possible. From presentations, to dinners together, it was so nice to spend some one- on-one time getting to know them.
Grocer’s List
I’ve been using Grocer’s List since attending the retreat last spring and have been loving its features! One of the most popular is the comment-for-recipe function. If you comment “recipe” on any of my Instagram posts, the link to the recipe is automatically sent to your inbox, making it easy to click through and start cooking. During the retreat, the founder, Ben, walked us through some of their newest tools, including the ability to create deep links for Amazon products allowing you to remain logged in to make purchases. If you are a fellow food blogger I highly recommend checking them out!
Happy Egg
I loved learning more about the egg industry and how Happy Egg partners with over 100 family farms across the Midwest to produce high-quality, cage-free eggs. Their commitment to giving hens ample space, and a better quality of life, truly translates into a superior product. During breakfast, Chef Trimell showcased the vibrant, orange yolks in a variety of creative egg dishes. My favorite? Soft-boiled, breaded crispy eggs served with country ham and jalapeño jelly.
Mediavine
We had the opportunity to sit down with the team at Mediavine to learn more about optimizing ad performance, setting and reaching revenue goals, and picking up valuable tips – plus a chance to ask questions!
I learned so much in just a few days (plus I feel more relaxed thanks to morning yoga and some meditation!), and I can’t wait to put the ideas into action. I left rejuvenated and inspired and motivated to get cooking!
All photos courtesy of Amanda Kamppinen.
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