About Us

Our mission is to share the region's delicious food culture with our guests and to support the farms, shops, producers and chefs who are dedicated to growing and sourcing outstanding local ingredients.

Pioneer Valley Food Tours offers tours for a variety of tastes including walking tours through downtown streets, bicycle tours to farms and vineyards, and tours that focus on vegetarian fare or local craft beer.

Along with tasting delicious food, our tours focus on the close relationships within our local food community. The chefs and shop owners work directly with the farmers to support, promote and sustain each other. This collaboration and an appreciation for high quality, locally grown food create a food culture that is unique to the region.

Deborah Christakos, Founder and Tour Guide

Deborah built her appreciation for local food and specialty products as a chef working in restaurants across the U.S. and in France.

After spending 15 years in restaurant kitchens and then raising two children, she began teaching cooking classes designed to make cooking from scratch more accessible to anyone. During a visit to the local farmers market, she remembers wondering if someone offered food tours of the Valley’s wonderful local food scene. When she learned that no one did, she began putting together the idea of Pioneer Valley Food Tours and launched her first Northampton Local Food Tour in August, 2017.

Living in the Valley for 19 years, Deborah continues to find new local products and introduce guests to the area’s outstanding local food. “The ripeness, flavor and seasonal variety are superior when you have access to such incredible local farms. This is the experience we share with our guests.”