MAY 26, 2016
Beverly, MA, 26 May 2016 — Quarto Publishing Group USA, part of the leading global illustrated book publisher The Quarto Group, is pleased to announce the successful asset purchase of Burgess Lea Press, a publisher of fine books about food from excellent chefs, exemplary restaurants, world travelers, and the new generation of family farms.
Burgess Lea Press selects subjects that reflect the philosophy that great food can help sustain good works. Their unique publishing model, which will be sustained by Quarto after the purchase, focuses on publishing books of the highest quality while supporting worthwhile food-related causes. Burgess Lea Press donates 100% of after-tax publishing profits on every book to 501 c(3) organizations that address hunger relief, farmland preservation, and culinary education. Some of the non-profits they have supported include Edible Schoolyard Project (Berkeley, CA), Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture (Tarrytown, NY), Adelante Mujeres (Forest Grove, OR), Urban Roots (St. Paul, MN), Vetri Community Partnership, and Drexel University Culinary Arts and Hospitality (both of Philadelphia, PA).
The purchase, which was completed on May 25, 2016, adds notable backlist titles to the Quarto food list including the beautifully illustrated and hand-lettered Mi Comida Latina by Marcella Kriebel, and a robust forthcoming program of eminent authors such as former Gourmet editor Kate Winslow with her cookbook, Onions Etcetera. This purchase also furthers Quarto’s position as a leading publisher of lifestyle-oriented titles for consumer markets.
Burgess Lea Press will become an imprint of Quarto Publishing Group USA, with editorial and production operations running out of Quarto’s Minneapolis, MN, office. Buz Teacher, Co-Founder of Running Press Book Publishers, who was CEO of Burgess Lea Press, and Janet Bukovinsky Teacher, who was Publisher, will continue to work with the imprint.
Ken Fund, President & CEO of Quarto Publishing Group USA said:
“We’re excited to bring Burgess Lea Press into QuartoCooks. The cause of Burgess Lea is something we truly believe in, and through this purchase Quarto is thrilled to be able to give back to the community. Burgess Lea’s extraordinary authors and cookbooks and the uniqueness of their mission will be a powerful addition to Quarto’s family of imprints.”
Erik Gilg, Group Publisher, Minneapolis, said:
“The quality of the Burgess Lea publishing program will be a stunning addition to Quarto’s food list. I am looking forward to working with Buz and Janet to continue their noble mission.”
Buz Teacher, CEO of Burgess Lea Press and Janet Bukovinsky Teacher, Publisher, commented:
“We are so pleased and excited that our unique not-for-profit model will become part of the Quarto publishing family. Our roots with Quarto go back more than two decades, and we’ve always been great admirers of the company and the fine books they publish. It’s a tribute to the Quarto culture that they have created a permanent home for Burgess Lea Press and its mission.”
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About Quarto Publishing Group USA
Quarto Publishing Group USA is the US-based division of the leading global illustrated book publisher The Quarto Group. Known for its high quality books and gifts for enthusiasts, Quarto Publishing Group USA encompasses Book Sales, Cool Springs Press, Creative Publishing international, Fair Winds Press, Harvard Common Press, Moondance Press, Motorbooks, Quarry Books, Race Point Publishing, Rock Point Gift and Stationery, Rockport Publishers, Seagrass Press, Voyageur Press, Walter Foster Publishing, Walter Foster Jr., Wellfleet Press, as well as the distribution service, QDS.