Sarabeth Levine is Pastry Chef and Founder of "Sarabeth's" Restaurants with 9 locations in New York City, one in Long Island and one in Key West, Florida. She is the creator of the SARABETH'S line of jams and preserves which are sold nationally in gourmet shops, specialty stores, upscale supermarkets, department stores and hotels throughout the United States, such as Williams Sonoma, Macy’s, Sur La Table, Zabar's, Fairway, Kings Markets, Food Emporium, Dean & DeLuca , Stew Leonard's, Balducci’s, Grace's, the Mandarin Oriental, Trump International Hotel, the Mercer Hotel and in over 5000 other stores both nationally and abroad. Her jams and bakery products are also sold at her restaurants, in her bakery at the Chelsea Market, and via the Internet at www.sarabeth.com.
Sarabeth began her business in 1980 by making and selling her Orange-Apricot Marmalade, from an old family recipe at her home on Manhattan's Upper West Side. In 1981, she opened "Sarabeth's," a small pastry and jam shop on Amsterdam Avenue. The following year, she created an expanded line of jams and preserves, added several tables and began serving breakfast and lunch. In 1983, she opened a second location at Madison Avenue and 92nd Street and started serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, 7 days per week. In 1986, Sarabeth's moved to larger quarters across the street on Amsterdam Avenue where the bakery was expanded to include a full line of pastries and desserts as well as jams and the restaurant started serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. In July of 1989, Sarabeth completed the expansion and renovation of the Madison Avenue location. At the invitation of the Whitney Museum of American Art, "Sarabeth's at the Whitney" opened in July, 1991 serving lunch midweek and brunch on weekends, along with catering of in-house and corporate events for the Museum. 1998 saw the opening of Sarabeth's at the Chelsea Market, a 4,300 sq. ft. state of the art wholesale and retail artisanal bakery. In March 2000, a fully automated jam factory was installed in a 15,000 s.f. building in the Hunts Point Section of the Bronx. Sarabeth's Central Park South, a 200 seat restaurant with outdoor dining facing Central Park opened in May, 2005. In July, 2005, the first Sarabeth's outside of New York City opened in Key West, Florida. Three Sarabeth’s restaurant are located in Lord and Taylor Department Stores in New York City, Garden City and Manhasset, New York
SARABETH preserves have won numerous awards from the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT) such as the Best Domestic Fine Food Award , Outstanding Jam, Preserve, Spread or Topping, Outstanding New Product, Outstanding Healthy Product (Granola), Outstanding Hot Beverage (Hot Chocolate), Outstanding Classic Products and Outstanding Product Line.
Sarabeth graduated from C.W. Post College in 1964 with a BA. in sociology. In 1985, she received the N.Y.U. Small Business Woman of the Year Award. She was elected to Les Dames d'Escoffier in 1987 and served as its treasurer for two years. She was on the Advisory Board of City Harvest, a founding supporter of Children's Friends for Life, an honorary chairperson, and a participant in the last five years "Cooks for Kids", a member of the James Beard Foundation, American Woman Chefs and Restaurateurs and the American Institute of Wine and Food. Sarabeth was twice nominated for the Perrier-Jouet Pastry Chef of the Year Award. In 1996, Sarabeth won the esteemed James Beard Pastry Chef of the Year award. In 1994 Sarabeth received the "Distinguished Alumni Award" at commencement ceremonies at C.W. Post College.
Sarabeth has taught baking and cooking classes at the New School, De Gustibus at Macy's, and at Riker's Island for the Fresh Start Program. Sarabeth has appeared on Good Morning America, Good Day New York, WABC-TV News, WNBC-TV News, The Food Network, Cable News Network and several radio shows. She has been the subject of numerous magazine and newspaper articles and has written for culinary magazines and trade journals.
Her first cookbook, Sarabeth’s Bakery: From My Hands to Yours, was published by Rizzoli, Inc. on October 19, 2010.
Sarabeth has been a frequent participant in numerous charitable fund-raisers, such as Share Our Strength, American Cancer Society, City Meals on Wheels, CCAP, Kidsave Int. Share, and many others, as well as a prodigious contributor to various religious and educational organizations.
Sarabeth lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and Water Mill, New York, with her husband Bill Levine, partner and co-founder of Sarabeth's Kitchen. Sarabeth and Bill have four children and 12 grandchildren.
