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Top Chef is all set to return with a brand new season next month. Ashleigh Shanti is one of the 15 aspiring chefs who will be competing in Season 19, and will be making an effort to win over the judges with her culinary skills.
Born in Virginia Beach, VA, Shanti is a chef and creator of Good Hot Fish in Asheville, North Carolina. She has worked at multiple restaurants and created a variety of cuisines ranging from classic French to Northern Italian. However, her signature cuisine is Southern Appalachian.
Although Top Chef is a big break for Shanti, she has already achieved a few milestones like winning the 2019 Eater Young Gun Award. She was also nominated for the James Beard “Rising Star Chef of the Year” award as a 2020 finalist during her stint at John Fleer’s Benne on Eagle as Chef de Cuisine.
Ashleigh Shanti: Education and personal life
Shanti always wanted to do something in the culinary field. So after she got her Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Hampton University, she pursued Culinary Arts at Baltimore International College.
She is not just confined to the kitchen, but also loves outdoor activities like foraging, birding and hiking the Blue Ridge Mountains. On her outdoor journey, she is mostly accompanied by her partner Meaghan and her 10-year-old Vizsla, Roux.
Shanti’s bio on Bravo’s site mentioned how her cooking showcases her upbringing. It reads:
“Her cuisine honors Black foodways while also paying homage to her coastal Virginia upbringing where she stripped collard greens before she could walk.”
Her Instagram is filled with posts of lip-smacking dishes. She describes herself in a unique way in her social media bio, which reads:
"Plate Killa™️|Booch Bruja🧙🏾♀️|Plant Peddler🌿@utopianseedproject|Fish Slanger🐟."
Shanti’s next big step in her career is impressing judges on Top Chef Season 19. Speaking about the cooking show, she said:
“I decided to compete on Top Chef because I know I can level up against some of the best in our industry. I hope to gain the opportunity to show off the cuisine our part of the South has to offer.”
When will Top Chef Season premiere?
Season 19 of the culinary show is all set to premiere on Thursday, March 3 at 8.00 pm ET on Bravo. The competition series will be graced by host and judge Padma Lakshmi alongside head judges Gail Simmons and Tom Colicchio.
Throughout the season, multiple celebrity chefs will be welcomed on the Bravo show. This time, the filming will be done in Houston, where the contestants will be challenged to create traditional Nigerian dishes.
The winner will take home $250,000 along with an appearance at the annual Food and Wine Classic in Aspen and a feature in Food and Wine magazine.
