The brainchild of executive chef Nick Wallace and his team, Preserve is a culinary education center that will be located in the Midtown neighborhood of Jackson, MS. After being featured on award winning cooking shows like Chopped and Top Chef, Nick Wallace aims to give back to the Jackson, MS community. Preserve aims to both showcase Mississippi’s culture and cuisine while also providing the community with access to quality foods through a grocery store and farmer’s market, culinary education, workforce training, and community engagement. Partnering with Hope Credit Union and Midtown Partners Inc., Preserve will augment the creative economy in Midtown and help to eliminate the food insecurity that continues to plague many in Jackson, MS. The EW Nick Wallace Culinary team is assisting in the creation of the business plan and financial budget for Preserve.

The ELSEWORKS team is also assisting in the creation of Rooted: A Modern Mississippian Map to American Home Cooking. Shepherded by Julian Rankin, Dr. Michael Pickard, and the University Press of Mississippi, the EW Team will assist in marketing and promoting the book. Rooted will feature a host of notable contributes and is inspired by a host of voices and collaborators – blending together places and products in the shared spiritual roux of the American home-cooked meal - whatever form that home might take. Rooted ties the past and the future together through contemporary recipes and a culinary paradox that Wallace calls the “Modern Mississippian.” The book is scheduled to be released in the Fall of 2024.