Ashleigh Shanti

Bio

Ashleigh Shanti is the author of Our South: Black Food Through My Lens and Chef-Owner of Good Hot Fish in Asheville, NC. Born in St. Mary’s, GA and raised in Virginia Beach, VA, Ashleigh’s heritage has roots across the Southeast. She graduated from culinary school at Baltimore International College in 2013 and went on to stage at Minibar in Washington, D.C., and act as culinary assistant for Vivian Howard before becoming Chef de Cuisine at John Fleer’s Benne on Eagle in Asheville. She was named an Eater Young Gun in 2019 and was a finalist for the James Beard “Rising Star Chef of the Year” award in 2020. She was also a top five “cheftestant” on season 19 of Bravo’s Top Chef and was the winner of Restaurant Wars.