Cleveland - May 2019
The Depot
Chef Matthew Raiford
Matthew Raiford is chef/owner and sixth-generation farmer at Gilliard Farms, a sibling-run sustainable farm in Brunswick, GA, that has been owned and operated by his family since 1874. Matthew is author of Bress ‘n’ Nyam, which was released May 2021, and is a descendant of the Freshwater Gullah Geechee community, which is the foundation of his cookbook. He holds a culinary arts degree from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, and a certificate in ecological horticulture from the University of California, Santa Cruz and The Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems.
Trained in classic French cuisine with an affinity for coastal flavors, Matthew has over 25 years of experience in the food and hospitality industry. His roles have included director of culinary at the College of Coastal Georgia, executive chef of Little St. Simons Island, and executive chef of Haute Catering in Washington, DC at the U.S. House of Representatives. Matthew Raiford was named a 2018 semi-finalist in the James Beard Awards Best Chef in the Southeast category and has been featured in the New York Times, Southern Living, Garden & Gun, and the Huffington Post. He has also been a featured chef at food festivals across the country.
We had GRAND time with him at The Cleveland Depot ~ LIVE music, plenty of passed apps and table full of goodness.
