17 Louisville chefs to host 'Taste for Life' in honor of Anthony Bourdain and suicide prevention

LOUISVILLE, Ky (WDRB) -- An event this weekend is shedding light on what is an ongoing issue in the restaurant industry: suicide, addiction and mental health awareness.

It is no secret Louisville is one of the best foodie cities in the country, but there is a dark side to the industry that's been highlighted by the death of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain one year ago.

Chefs around the world declared Tuesday “Anthony Bourdain Day.”

“I think outside of the restaurant world, nobody knows what is going on,” said Chef George Mayfield, a former marine who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.

For years, Mayfield has battled with himself and addiction and even attempted to take his life.

“With a restaurant, you kind of get into that rock star lifestyle — here in Louisville, especially," he said. "You’re everything, and everybody knows you, and you have a great time. I think a lot people fall into the wrong chasm of that thing, and I did the same thing."

Late hours, low pay and high stress all things that can contribute to higher suicide rates in the service industry, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We’re just bringing it into the light and taking the stigma away from it,” said Chris Williams, owner of Four Pegs in Germantown.

Four Pegs will host “A Taste for Life” on Saturday that will feature 17 of Louisville’s top chefs, and Food Network chefs, that will showcase their signature street food, something that was Bourdain’s favorite.

The proceeds will go toward suicide prevention and outreach groups, including the National Alliance on Mental health.

“We know that in the backs of kitchens and in the fronts of restaurants, people are going through different things," Williams said. "And we really want people to know it’s OK, and we want to provide them a way to get help."

Mayfield wants more of an open conversation with chefs, servers and their managers.

“You just want to give up," Mayfield said. "But for everybody, you can’t."

For more information and tickets, click here.