@tonitiptonmartin

Toni Tipton-Martin (she/her) is a culinary journalist and author using cultural heritage and cooking to build community. She is Editor in Chief of Cook’s Country by America’s Test Kitchen, a cast member on its PBS television show, a two-time James Beard Award winner, and recipient of the Julia Child Award.

@foodordeath_ @goodhotfish

Shanti (she/her) is chef and creator of Asheville, NC-based pop up fish fry (and upcoming fish camp), Good Hot Fish. Her cuisine honors Black foodways while also paying homage to her coastal Virginia upbringing where she stripped collard greens before she could walk. Southern Appalachian cuisine is her culinary love language. She was awarded 2019 Eater Young Gun and named a 2020 finalist for James Beard “Rising Star Chef of the Year.” She can currently be seen competing on Bravo’s Top Chef Houston.

@indigohouseva

Leni Sorensen (she/her) teaches culinary history and cookery. She majored in History at Mary Baldwin College and earned her MA/PhD at the College of William and Mary in American Studies. She worked for over thirty years as a university lecturer, museum consultant, hands-on presenter and researcher with a focus on African American slavery, American agriculture, and women’s work in colonial and post-colonial America. Retired from Monticello she now teaches rural life skills from her home in Western Albemarle County in Virginia.

@ronni.lundy

Lundy (she/her), author of Victuals: An Appalachian Journey, with Recipes (Clarkson Potter, 2016), has been writing about the food, music and culture of the southern Appalachians and the American South for more than 30 years. Victuals received the James Beard Award for Book of the Year and best American Cookbook from the International Association of Culinary Professionals. A founding member of the Southern Foodways Alliance, former board member and recipient of its Craig Claiborne Lifetime Achievement Award. Founder of the Appalachian Food Summit.

@dr.cynthiar.greenlee

Dr. Greenlee (she/her) is a Durham-based historian and journalist. She has won a James Beard Award for food writing; her work has appeared in Best American Food Writing and other publications such as The Atlantic, The Nation, The New York Times, Smithsonian, Vox, and The Washington Post. She was recently senior editor at The Counter (a now-defunct, publication about the business and culture of food) and also served as deputy editor of the Southern Foodways Alliance's Gravy Journal. 

@wickedweedbrewing

With four locations in Asheville including three taprooms and a fine dining restaurant, Wicked Weed shows no signs of slowing down. They continue to grow while focusing on innovation, quality, and strong roots in their community of Asheville, North Carolina.

@vidlcellars

Through many different treatments, vessels, and fermentations, we’ve created a diverse portfolio of wines that reflect our passion as both drinkers and makers. These truths we hold self-evident: fruit is life, fermentation is alchemy, and wine is vīdl.

@littlejumbobar

Little Jumbo is a neighborhood cocktail bar, in a century-old building on Broadway, just north of downtown Asheville. The bar is known for their welcoming staff, expertly made cocktails and locally sourced food menu. Since opening in 2017 Little Jumbo has received coverage in Eater, Southern Living, Food & Wine, Whiskey Advocate, among other outlets.

@pernodricardusa

Conviviality is about how we do business – bringing our passion to work every day and living by our values of openness, simplicity, collaboration and entrepreneurship. We are constantly innovating to ensure our customers have the right spirit to match every moment of conviviality.

@noble_cider

Founded in the new 'Craft Brew Mecca' of Asheville and North Carolina's apple country, Noble brings together a rich local history of agriculture with this region’s exciting craft beverage industry. We make a variety of things...mead, spritzers, wine, and cider of course!

@devilsfootbrew

Farm-To-Can Craft Soda. We pride ourselves on working with Organic Roots & Fruits to create a healthier, more flavorful non-alcoholic experience for everyone in our communities.

@mountainvalleywater

@ebonywineandspirits

Charlotte, North Carolina's Only Black-Owned Wine & Spirits Company. Owned by Camillya Masunda, the brand is inspired by her Congolese roots and her way of celebrating the history and heritage of vast Black cultures around the globe.