Alyse Baca is the Culinary Director of Spicewalla, the award-winning spice company that roasts, grinds, and packs by hand 250+ spices and exclusive blends in its Asheville factory. At Spicewalla, Alyse is responsible for developing the brand’s proprietary spice blends as well as recipe content on Spicewalla’s site, social, and YouTube. Alyse is fourth-generation Mexican-American and grew up in Charlotte, NC. She attended culinary school at AB-Tech in Asheville then spent the first five years of her culinary career as a fine dining pastry chef, joining Spicewalla in 2019 as a recipe developer.

Wine brought Amie and Lyndon together.  They met in a wine shop in 2011 and have been collaborating and experimenting in life and wine ever since. Amie and Lyndon are co-founders of Botanist and Barrel Winery & Cidery in Cedar Grove NC. After a career in wine sourcing, importing and distributing, they wanted to make the type of wild and raw ciders they enjoyed drinking but couldn’t find made in the US.  Plus, they realized that the winemakers were having all the fun, so in 2017 they teamed up with Lyndon’s sister Kether Smith and husband Deric McGuffey and Botanist and Barrel Cidery and Winery was born.  In 2021, they opened a second location, Botanist & Barrel Tasting Bar + Bottle Shop, in downtown Asheville, that also carries a like-minded selection of other native yeast fermented wines and ciders.  Lyndon is a forager, farmer and the President of the NC Cider Association.  Amie is one of a select few people awarded the Pommelier certification from the American Cider Association and is also certified through the Court of Master’s Sommeliers. 

Andrea Weigl spent a decade covering the justice system as a newspaper reporter before transitioning to being the food writer and editor at The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C. She served as the chair of the James Beard Foundation’s Book Awards committee. She works as a television and film producer, including on the PBS shows, “A Chef’s Life,” and “Somewhere South.” She is currently working on a documentary series for HBO. She also works for Sandbox Collaborative handling media relations and social media management for hotels and restaurants.

Annie Pettry is a James Beard Nominated chef, Top Chef alumna, and Asheville native with 28+ years in food. Recently, Pettry founded Be Bonnie, a digital care company supporting women-owned food businesses to align their brand & mission with their online presence. She is an esteemed industry leader & social advocate, promoting equity & sustainability.

Ashleigh Fleming is the Executive Chef and Managing Director of Blue Jay Bistro in Littleton, NC. Here, she pays homage to her current home of North Carolina and her Texas roots with a seasonally driven menu that celebrates the area’s local bounty.

Raised in Houston, TX, Fleming grew up in kitchens. Whether it was the restaurants her parents owned and managed or her grandmother’s home, she experienced the thrill of the culinary industry first-hand during the early stages of her life, long before it became her calling. By the time Fleming was 18 years old, she was managing a restaurant. While at first the restaurant jobs were a means to pay for her enrollment at The Art Institute of Houston for graphic design studies, she quickly realized her true calling was hospitality. She continued to gain restaurant experience in Houston before making it official by applying to The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY.

After graduating from the CIA in 2009 with both Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management degrees, Fleming began her hospitality career in country clubs. During this time, Fleming cooked at several well-regarded establishments, including the River Oaks Country Club and The Briar Club in Texas, the Congressional Country Club in Maryland, the Army Navy Country Club in Virginia, and then three years as the Executive Chef of The Carolina Club at UNC in Chapel Hill. Eager to find a space that allowed for more creativity and a chance to focus heavily on seasonal ingredients, she set her sights on independent restaurants. In 2019, Fleming made a name for herself as the opening chef of a restaurant in Apex, NC, where she worked closely with local growers and purveyors to ensure the restaurant’s successful opening debut.

Just as Fleming started to feel burnt out from the hospitality industry, she met seasoned entrepreneurs Deb and Ed Fitts of Littleton, NC, who planned to open a fine dining restaurant right on the small town’s main street as part of a larger town revitalization project. Fleming knew that if she continued her career as a chef, significant changes would be necessary to keep the job sustainable. The Fittses promised her flexibility and responsibility, allowing her a chance to cultivate a restaurant environment that would be welcoming for all. With this new relationship, her past experiences, and guidance from her mentor, Certified Master Chef Ken Arnone, Fleming knew it was time to take complete creative autonomy and share her passion for food with the world.

At Blue Jay Bistro, Fleming’s style combines the flavors and traditions of Texas, her family’s heritage, and the Southeast with North Carolina ingredients. In addition to overseeing the culinary operations for Blue Jay Bistro, Fleming also manages its next-door neighbor Daphne’s Coffee Shop, and is involved in other Littleton revitalization projects. Fleming’s first loves outside of the restaurant are her dog and two cats. She is an avid shoe collector, continues to draw, and is always up for a good beer or hot tea and a conversation on both.

Ashley English is the author of eleven books, including five books in her Homemade Living Series (Canning & Preserving, Keeping Chickens, Keeping Bees, Home Dairy, and Home Apothecary); A Year of Pies; Handmade Gatherings; Quench; A Year of Picnics; The Essential Book of Homesteading; and Southern From Scratch. She also does a good deal of teaching, as well as freelance writing, both digital and print, and has been featured in a number of major publications. Ashley lives in Candler, NC with her husband Glenn, two young sons Huxley and Alistair, and a menagerie of animals, and can be found opining and chronicling her adventures in homesteading and beyond at www.smallmeasure.com. 

Brandon (he/him) is driven by creativity, inside and outside of the kitchen. The Virginia native is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University, and moved to Charlotte to study and grow as a person. Since his arrival in the Queen City, he’s done just that. Before joining the team at Leah & Louise in October of 2020, Brandon, 26, worked at Haymaker, among other restaurants. In his spare time, he continues to create, including poetry and visual art.

Brian was born and raised in Roselle Park, New Jersey.

He was first introduced to butchery in 2007 at Johnson’s Meat Market in Florida. He hasn’t left the south since, and eventually moved to Asheville with his wife Gabriela and his two little girls.  In Asheville, Brian continued in butchery working at the local Earth Fare before moving to Green Life and taking on the role of “Team Leader” of the Meat and Seafood department.  He helped with the buyout and transition of Green Life over to Whole Foods and also assisted with the opening of the Whole Foods Kenilworth location.

In 2015, Brian began working as the Head Butcher at Hickory Nut Gap Farm. His favorite part about working at HNG is the farm’s values that are aligned with his own and supporting the Agers on their journey of making a difference and impact in the world of sustainable agriculture.

Brian enjoys spending time with his family and puppy named Rosie. He also takes advantage of what the Asheville has to offer in the outdoors through hiking and backpacking.

“Recognized as a “culinary game-changer” in Zagat Magazine and as one of the “top 30 chefs under 30” during his time in Colorado, Brian’s career began modestly but has consistently grown alongside his talents.
With a family of seven children, it wasn’t easy for Brian’s mother to feed everyone, but she managed. Her resourcefulness and ingenuity in the kitchen inspired Brian; to this day, he gets nostalgic picking beans, peeling potatoes, and reminiscing about her famous bacon-fried chicken.

While at culinary school, Brian started working at The Corner Kitchen where he developed a greater measure of culinary expression. “It was truly the cornerstone of my career, as it taught me to be a well-rounded cook.” It was there that he had the opportunity to cook for the former President and First Lady of the United States Barack and Michelle Obama. After culinary school, he landed a sous chef position at Asheville’s renowned Grove Park Inn.

In 2011, Brian became the Executive Chef at Devil’s Food Bakery & Cookery in Denver at only 24 years of age. Following his tenure there, he collaborated with the owner, architect, and contractor in a restaurant project called Bacon Social House.

Brian returned to North Carolina to become Chestnut’s Executive Chef in 2017. “Reuniting with a family that I worked with in the past was something I could not pass up,” he said. “I firmly believe in Chestnut’s core values and culture and feel blessed by this amazing opportunity.” In my new role as culinary director I am able to bring both restaurants that I love together more so.

Chef Chris (he/him), AKA “Burger Boi” is an experienced and entertaining chef with deep roots in the Asheville food scene. Known for his work as chef/partner of The Malvern, Hot Dog Curator at The Barksdale and co-founder of the Montford Pull Up. An Asheville native, he is a product of the AB Tech Culinary Program and a former instructor at Green Opportunities. He has competed and won several food competitions: Asheville Wing War, Asheville Battle of the Burger, Smiling Hara’s Tempeh Taco Challenge, Stu Helm’s Punk Rock Hot Dog Competition and the FRS WHACKED! Mystery Basket Competition.

Daniel (he/him) has spent 20 years in the hospitality industry, primarily focusing on seasonal and sustainable food systems. He has worked for acclaimed chefs and restaurateurs including Sean Brock and Patrick O’Connell and has led many kitchens in the Carolinas, most recently James Beard nominated restaurant The Stanley in Charlotte. Daniel made the transition to culinary and hospitality education; here he hopes to educate and inspire young chefs to further their growth and exploration of the hospitality industry.

Elijah Je Bailey is a chef and bread baker focused on local wholes grains, natural fermentation, and wood fire baking.

His experience in kitchens and bakery’s in Miami & Montréal, as well as his Lebanese heritage, led him to open Hominy Farm with his wife & partner Sydney Rubin in 2019.

Hominy Farm is a sustainable homestead and bakery in the heart of the Hominy Valley that serves farmers markets and culinary events throughout WNC.

Eric Morris is executive chef at Cultura by Wicked Weed Brewing, which was a semifinalist for a James Beard Award in 2020. Eric has been cooking professionally for more than two decades, including as chef de cuisine for the critically acclaimed Nightbell in Asheville and Pearl & Ash in New York City. He served as sous chef for Tom Colicchio’s Riverpark, where he helped to where he helped establish Riverpark Farm, a portable urban farm initially built in milk crates at a 15,000-square-foot stalled construction site.

In 2021, Chef Eric Morris launched the Cultivated Community Dinner Series at Cultura. This dinner series provides a platform for Asheville chefs who are a positive force for change within our community. Each month, Chef Eric Morris collaborates with a guest chef to design a unique culinary experience. The dinners also feature a non-profit selected by our guest chefs to reflect the true collaborative effort of our community. The Cultivated Community Dinner Series is designed to be intimate and intentional. Chef Eric and the Cultura team are striving to create an environment that cultivates positive community and authentic connection.

Chef Eric is an incredible and passionate human being who dedicates his heart and energy to supporting his team and strengthening his community. The best Chef that you could ever dream to have in your kitchen!

A native of Norlina, NC, Gerald is known for featuring producers across the state in innovative ways through food. He is an executive pastry chef in Wilmington & a co-chef of “Wa Mi Dounou” with chef Adé Carrena of Raleigh. “Wa Mi Dounou”, explores connections between Beninese food & the Carolinas.

Jonathan Pridgen is Cúrate’s Head of Charcuterie. After graduating from Vanderbilt in 2012 to pursue a career in the music industry, Jonathan picked up jobs in the Nashville restaurant industry during the job hunt. Throughout this period, he felt himself less inspired by music, and increasingly drawn to his passion for cooking. Pressing pause on the music career, Pridgen performed a number of culinary stages in the Nashville area, all incredibly positive experiences, that led to his ultimate decision to pursue a career in food and hospitality.

By the end of 2013, Pridgen had accumulated experience in both fish and livestock fabrication, with a major portion received during his stint working at Porter Road Butcher (porterroad.com). Over his year with Porter Road, Jonathan learned the ins and outs of whole animal butchery and full carcass utilization. This position also taught him how to identify proper animal welfare and abattoir practices when examining a butchered animal. 

Pridgen’s charcuterie interest began while working at Nashville’s The Catbird Seat. While seeking advice about a new sausage going on the menu, Jonathan received an in depth tutorial from his former mentor at Porter Road. This experience was the catalyst for his deep dive down the rabbit hole of all things charcuterie. These lessons enabled Jonathan to play a major part in the introduction of various fresh and fermented sausages to Catbird’s menu eventually taking over all charcuterie production. 

After three years at The Catbird Seat, Jonathan Pridgen started working as a line cook at Cúrate Bar de Tapas then at Nightbell, participating in and eventually leading the whole beef program, in addition to his duties on the line. The idea of a charcuterie program at Cúrate was in its early stages. Before it was fully established, Pridgen worked closely with then-Chef de Cuisine of Nightbell, Eric Morris, who  provided the encouragement and space for him to explore and experiment with all different types of fresh and cured charcuterie, as well as learn about numerous cultural approaches to the practice. 

In early 2019, production of fresh sausages at Cúrate started in full scale, as well as researching and testing of charcuterie along with owners Katie Button and Felix Meana, and building a HACCP for cured embutidos (Spanish for salami) production. After the pandemic, Jonathan began producing the three main cured embutidos for Cúrate, Salchichon, Sobrasada and Chorizo, expanding production capacity into a new charcuterie kitchen. 

In 2023, Cúrate’s Sobrasada won a Good Food Award, highlighting the sourcing, care, flavor and artisanal quality of the product. Jonathan has since completed a stage in Spain working at a butcher shop in Catalonia, and looks forward to spending more time in Spain, continuing his hands-on education. 

Pridgen’s passion for butchery revolves around learning about the ethical aspects of farming, animal husbandry and slaughter that impact the quality of meat products presented to the end customer.

Meredith Leigh is a teacher, writer, and consultant and with 20 years experience in the food system with degrees in Environmental Science and Sustainable Agriculture. Over the course of her career she has owned and managed farms, worked in the non-profit sector, owned a restaurant and butchery shop. and built upon her expertise with diverse consulting work and extensive travel.

Her books are The Ethical Meat Handbook (3rd place, MFK Fisher awards 2015; IACP Cookbook Awards Winner 2021), and Pure Charcuterie (2017). She lives with her partner and four children on ancestral Cherokee land in Asheville, North Carolina.

The Ethical Meat Handbook came about after Meredith had been farming for 12 years, and eventually scaled up, going from direct market farming to owning and managing a retail butcher shop and restaurant. Working to maintain the farm, retail business, a young family, and a job in the non-profit food sector wasn’t easy. While Meredith was gaining perspective from working in virtually all nodes of what hoped to be a community-scale supply chain, her family life suffered. Divorce caused her to lose her farm and the business, but she did not lose her passion for the movement. This is when the Ethical Meat Handbook was born (2015), and was awarded 3rd place in the MFK Fisher awards. The book represents not just Meredith’s experience, but the challenges and opportunities facing community food movements in general. The book would not be possible without the work and contributions of farmers, butchers, thought leaders, and eaters that have influenced Meredith along the way. The book Pure Charcuterie followed two years after (2017), and then in 2020, Meredith revised and updated The Ethical Meat Handbook to reflect what she had learned and been gifted from five years of travel and networking around the concept and the pursuit of ethical meat. The Ethical Meat Handbook, revised and udpated, has become a familiar addition to the shelves of many chefs, farmers, food activists, and home cooks, and in 2021, it won an IACP cookbook award.

Michele Gentille began her culinary studies in a work/study program at La Varenne Culinary School in France, where she worked with culinary author Anne Willan as her editorial assistant, recipe developer, and photo foodstylist. After graduating she remained in Europe cooking for another two years in resorts and restaurants, including stages with Marco Pierre White in London, and the Sofitel Hotel in Paris.

She then returned to Los Angeles where she became a private chef and caterer. Eventually she moved to New York and took up freelance food writing and styling for the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times Style Magazine, among others.

Michele then put her things in storage and took seasonal work as a chef in Antarctica, Alaska, and Palmyra Atoll. Between jobs she traveled and sampled the foods of India, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Guatemala, Chile and Mexico. She then went to work for the Food Network on shows CHOPPED and Pioneer Woman as a set stylist, culinary assistant, and buyer.

After seven years of wandering she landed in Asheville and bought a small cottage in a rural valley surrounded by old family farms and cows. Currently Michele grows herbs and flowers she uses in private chef and pastry engagements, pop-ups, and foodstyling shoots. She is one of three chefs that make up the Ladies Who Brunch Popup in Asheville, and has been a participating chef in Chow-Chow AVL since 2021.

In 2014, Mother Ocean Seafood Market owner Sam Kosik saw a need for fresh seafood in Asheville and decided to fill the gap. His new idea was rigorous as he was driving down to the coast once a week to purchase and package fish before selling it on Thursday. He got his start at the local ASAP Tailgate Market. Due to the overwhelming response of customers, he needed to find another outlet to sell fish. That outlet turned out to be the parking lot of Vinnie’s Neighborhood Italian Grill. Mother Ocean Seafood Market continued to grow in popularity and Sam knew it was time for a more permanent solution. That solution showed up across the street as a spot opened up in Merrimon Square at 640 Merrimon Avenue. Sam got the keys to his permanent home in December of 2019 and began working to open his first store front in addition to expanding his tailgate market business. Despite facing several obstacles to opening, including the beginning of the pandemic, Kosik was able to open the doors to his first store front in March 2020. The market is open Tuesday through Saturday, and Kosik continues to work local tailgate markets Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. He additionally operates seasonal markets in Lake Toxaway and Banner Elk, NC. The team is excited to provide the best fish to as many people as possible. Mother Ocean Seafood Market remains committed to bringing the most sustainable, fresh seafood directly from the coast of the Carolinas to the mountains. The market brings fresh seafood directly to Asheville daily and they support other local Western North Carolina vendors through carrying ghee, pastas and other products.

Owen McGlynn is the Executive Chef of Asheville Proper and Little D’s, two restaurant concepts in Asheville, NC. Originally from Lakewood, OH, Owen got his start in Bowling Green, where he served in kitchens working several positions while attending Bowling Green State University. Though he was studying business, it was during this time that his passion for cooking truly began to develop. Following his drive to enhance his talents, he moved to Charleston, SC to attend culinary school at Johnson & Wales College of Culinary Arts.

While in the Lowcountry, Owen worked in well-known Southern restaurants in downtown Charleston, including Anson Restaurant and High Cotton. He went on to help with opening the second location of High Cotton in Greenville, SC in 2006, where he served as Sous Chef before relocating to Asheville, NC in 2011 to open Storm Rhum Bar & Bistro with his then girlfriend, Mindi.

Owen and Mindi, now married, opened their dream restaurant, Asheville Proper, in August 2020. For the restaurant, Owen designed a unique wood-burning Argentinean style grill which serves as the focal point of the space as well as the source for his innovative menu creations, which incorporate fire elements in each dish. At Asheville Proper, the culinary team focuses on working with the freshest ingredients from local and regional purveyors to create ever-evolving offerings as the seasons change.

In 2023, Owen and Mindi opened Little D’s, the couples’ second restaurant concept, which is a casual eatery that focuses on seasonal fare and shareable plates, bringing slight sophistication and grand intention into a different neck of the woods. With the menu focused on eating with the seasons, guests can enjoy a selection of rotating dishes and cocktails featuring locally-sourced produce and ingredients, all in a charming and inviting neighborhood spot.

When Owen is not in the kitchen, you can find him golfing in one of Asheville’s many golf courses, enjoying a cigar, or grilling at home with his family.

Sam Fore is a Sri Lankan-American chef and recipe developer based in Lexington, Kentucky.  Her pop up, Tuk Tuk Sri Lankan Bites, crisscrosses the country to bring her Sri Lanka meets the  South dishes to diners far and wide. She started the pop up in 2016, after traditional Sri Lankan  brunches in her home outgrew her dining room. Fore’s cooking is a reflection of her Sri Lankan  upbringing in the American South; her dishes include her spin on Southern classics as well as  new riffs on her family’s time-tested recipes. Her recipes can be found in multiple national  publications and across the web — her take on tomato pie graced the cover of Food & Wine in  2019. She was named one of Plate Magazine’s Chefs to Watch (2018), was one of Southern  Living’s inaugural Cooks of the Year (2020) and was named one of Taste of the South’s  Taste50 (2022). In 2021 she joined the cast of Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street, which airs  nationally on PBS stations. In 2023, Fore was honored by the James Beard Foundation Awards  as a Finalist

Tara Robinson is a graduate of the Natural Gourmet Cookery School and Mercyhurst University. She started working in pastry 8 years ago after being a stay at home mom and has been with Baked Pie Company over 6 years as their Head Bakery Chef.

A tour de force and a force for change, Chef Terrell (she/her) has run the gamut from executive chef for the American Le Mans Race Car Series to owning her own restaurants & catering company. She ventures to spread her message and engage others with her own unique story through freelance chef projects and her critically acclaimed ‘The Clarksdale’ pop up dinner series. Chef Terrell’s passion is to nurture and support her peers in crafting a future that both celebrates and facilitates all the unique and talented voices that make up the Asheville culinary scene.