Northern California B Corps Unite at the 54th Annual World’s Largest Salmon BBQ

Northern California B Corps Unite at the 54th Annual World’s Largest Salmon BBQ

Posted on Jun 30, 2025 in Featured, Featured, News, News

A celebration of community and sustainability on the Mendocino Coast!

June 13, 2025 | Fort Bragg, CA –The 54th annual World’s Largest Salmon BBQ will return to the South Noyo Harbor on the Mendocino Coast on Saturday, July 5th from 11am-6pm, promising a family-friendly day of great food, local drinks, and live music from multiple bands. There is also a fireworks show over the ocean that evening.
A beloved tradition for decades, the Salmon BBQ is always held on the first Saturday in July and is recognized as a legacy project by the Library of Congress. A benefit for the Salmon Restoration Association, this iconic event is one of the highlights of summer on
the Mendocino Coast. It brings together residents, tourists, and community leaders to support a serious cause while having a seriously good time. It also brings together the B Corp community, with three local B Corps supporting the event: North Coast Brewing
Company, Bonterra Organic Estates, and Thanksgiving Coffee Company, all of whom donate their time and products to the event.
There is a growing global movement of businesses worldwide that are certified B Corps, meaning they meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. B Corps must consider the impact of their businesses on all stakeholders, not just shareholders. Many beloved Northern California businesses hold the certification.

Thanksgiving Coffee

Thanksgiving Coffee was founded in the Noyo Harbor in 1971, the same year the
Salmon BBQ started, and has been supporting the event since the very beginning,
giving away about 1,000 cups of coffee at every event. It currently employs
approximately 20 people on the coast, with the event space visible from their corporate
office windows. Thanksgiving Coffee CEO Jonah Katzeff says, “I grew up going to the
Salmon BBQ. It’s a sweet gathering right in our backyard, and it’s always been our gift
to the community.”
As a director of the Specialty Coffee Association, founder Paul Katzeff suggested
forming an environmental committee in 1992, which “has had far-reaching and long-
lasting impact on the industry,” according to his son Jonah. “Becoming a B Corp was a
natural evolution of the work we’ve always done.”
Thanksgiving Coffee earned their B Corp status in 2015, an effort led by Sustainability
Consultant Lavender Cinnamon. Cinnamon, who continues her sustainability and
advocacy work on behalf of Thanksgiving, says, “Our commitment has always been to
supporting our local community and environmental justice through innovative
sustainability efforts, fair trade, and direct trade, and B Corp gives us third-party validity
that shows the world our commitments are real.”

North Coast Brewing Company

North Coast Brewing, owned and operated locally in Fort Bragg since its inception in
1988, has been pouring beer at the Salmon BBQ “for as long as I can remember,” says
CEO Jennifer Owen. Also a B Corp since 2015, North Coast Brewing was one of the
first breweries in the country to be certified. It’s also one of the largest employers in
town; an important organization in the community that loves to give back.
North Coast Brewing co-founder and original brewer, Mark Ruedrich, sought out the B
Corp certification because “he was always interested in doing things as sustainably as
possible, with minimal impact to the environment, an ethos we still have,” explains
Owen. She relates that becoming a B Corp isn’t a rubber stamp process. “It’s a rigorous
certification, and for us it resulted in a lot of new policies and processes, all for the
better.”
Commercial and recreational salmon fishing has been closed in California since 2023
with the hopes of letting the populations rebound. “Everyone wants it to come back as a
local industry,” says Owen. “The Salmon Restoration Association is all about
reinvigorating that industry, sustainably.”
North Coast Brewing is a popular stop for many attendees, and they typically pour about
15 kegs’ worth of beer. Says Owen, “We love being part of this community, and it’s great
to spend the day with our neighbors and support local restoration efforts at the Salmon
BBQ.”


Bonterra Organic Estates

Bonterra Organic Estates is a relative newcomer to the event, and became the official
wine sponsor in 2024. They’re not new to the community, however, having been
established by the Fetzer family in inland Mendocino County (then known as Fetzer
Vineyards) in 1968.
Community Relations Manager Elizabeth Archer is excited to return to pour for the
second year. “There was such great energy at the event last year, and such a
welcoming atmosphere for us as a new event sponsor,” says Archer. “All day long
people were coming up to us and saying how happy they were to see us there, pouring
local wine.”
Bonterra Organic Estates became a B Corp in 2015 and was one of the first wineries
certified globally. Additionally, the winery has been recognized by B Lab, which
manages the certification, for exceptional impact on the environment. “Our company
was founded on a commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices, and
our B Corp certification affirms that we’re using business as a force for positive change,”
explains Archer.
Proceeds from the World’s Largest Salmon BBQ directly fund hands-on habitat
improvement projects, stream restoration, and watershed education for future
generations. The 2024 event had 2,700 attendees and raised nearly $100,000.
As always, fireworks will be held the same evening, making this an ideal place to spend
the 4th of July weekend—all the festivities with hardly any crowds. Says Owen, “Even
on our busiest weekend, you can be treated like family at the busy Salmon BBQ, and
then you can walk across the bluffs and find a tranquil, quiet beach. It really is a special
place.”

Event Details: