Discover how Chef Bryant Terry is revolutionizing the culinary world through a combination of food justice and ancestral inspiration
Bryant Terry, born in 1974 in Memphis, TN, is a renowned artist, publisher, and author who has profoundly influenced the culinary world with his work. Residing in the San Francisco Bay Area, Terry draws deep inspiration from his ancestors, encouraging society to pursue a healthier, more just, and sustainable world.
Terry’s exceptional culinary contributions have earned him recognition as one of the most influential figures in the Bay Area food scene. San Francisco Magazine included him among the 11 Smartest People in the Bay Area Food Scene, while Fast Company listed him as one of 9 People Who Are Changing the Future of Food. His food justice activism has also garnered praise from mentors like Alice Waters, who asserts, “Bryant Terry knows that good food should be an everyday right and not a privilege.”
From 2015 to 2022, Terry served as the inaugural Chef-in-Residence at the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) in San Francisco. In this pioneering role, he curated public programming that intersected food, farming, health, activism, art, and culture. His innovative approach has earned him numerous accolades, including a James Beard Award, an NAACP Image Award, and the Art of Eating Prize.
Terry’s literary contributions have further solidified his status as a culinary visionary. His latest book, “Black Food,” published in 2021, received widespread acclaim and was celebrated as the most critically acclaimed American cookbook of the year. The book made its way onto numerous prestigious lists, including those by The New Yorker, San Francisco Chronicle, Boston Globe, The Washington Post, NPR, Los Angeles Times, Food52, and Glamour. “Black Food” was honored with the Art of Eating Prize, an award bestowed upon the best book about food annually.
Another notable work by Terry, “Vegetable Kingdom,” was published in February 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This book achieved both commercial success and critical acclaim, winning an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work and receiving a James Beard Award nomination. “Vegetable Kingdom” was also recognized as one of the best cookbooks of the year by The New Yorker, Vogue, and Food & Wine.
Terry’s earlier works, including “Afro-Vegan” and “Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine,” have also received critical acclaim. “Afro-Vegan” was honored as one of the best vegetarian cookbooks of all time by Bon Appétit, while “Vegan Soul Kitchen” was listed among the best vegetarian/vegan cookbooks of the last 25 years by Cooking Light Magazine.
A graduate of the Chef’s Training Program at the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts in New York City, Terry has dedicated his career to increasing access to healthy, affordable food. In 2001, he founded b-healthy! (Build Healthy Eating and Lifestyles to Help Youth), a five-year initiative aimed at raising awareness about food justice issues and empowering youth to create a more just and sustainable food system.
Through his books, public speaking engagements, and culinary innovations, Bryant Terry continues to inspire and educate, demonstrating that everyone can contribute to a healthier, more equitable food system.
#FoodJustice, #AncestralInspiration, #CulinaryArts
