All in the Industry ®️

Kelly Fields, Willa Jean

Episode Summary

On today's episode of All in the Industry®, Shari Bayer's guest is Kelly Fields, the Chef/Owner of Willa Jean in New Orleans, whose first cookbook, The Good Book of Southern Baking: A Revival of Biscuits, Cakes, and Cornbread (Penguin Random House), debuted yesterday. Kelly grew up near Charleston in a family with a strong Lowcountry baking tradition. She has worked as a pastry chef for more than twenty years, including first working under Susan Spicer and then at August in New Orleans before opening her own bakery and restaurant, Willa Jean. Kelly’s career accolades include winning Outstanding Pastry Chef from the James Beard Foundation in 2019 and being named one of the most influential people in the South by Garden & Gun magazine. She founded the Yes Ma'am foundation in 2017 with a mission to inspire, encourage, and mentor the next generation of women in the restaurant and hospitality industry. including Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, and Eater, and appearances on NBC’s TODAY Show, CBS This Morning Saturday, and Food Network’s “Iron Chef America.” Today's show also features Shari's PR tip; Industry News discussion on how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed how we shop for food; and Solo Dining experience at NYC's iconic Katz's Delicatessen in Manhattan's Loweer East Side. Listen at Heritage Radio Network; subscribe/rate/review our show at iTunes, Stitcher or Spotify. Follow us @allindustry. Thanks for being a part of All in the Industry®. Stay safe and well.

Episode Notes

On today's episode of All in the Industry®, Shari Bayer's guest is Kelly Fields, the Chef/Owner of Willa Jean in New Orleans, whose first cookbook, The Good Book of Southern Baking: A Revival of Biscuits, Cakes, and Cornbread (Penguin Random House), debuted yesterday. Kelly grew up near Charleston in a family with a strong Lowcountry baking tradition. She has worked as a pastry chef for more than twenty years, including first working under Susan Spicer and then at August in New Orleans before opening her own bakery and restaurant, Willa Jean. Kelly’s career accolades include winning Outstanding Pastry Chef from the James Beard Foundation in 2019 and being named one of the most influential people in the South by Garden & Gun magazine. She founded the Yes Ma'am foundation in 2017 with a mission to inspire, encourage, and mentor the next generation of women in the restaurant and hospitality industry. including Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, and Eater, and appearances on NBC’s TODAY Show, CBS This Morning Saturday, and Food Network’s “Iron Chef America.” Today's show also features Shari's PR tip; Industry News discussion on how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed how we shop for food; and Solo Dining experience at NYC's iconic Katz's Delicatessen in Manhattan's Loweer East Side. Listen at Heritage Radio Network; subscribe/rate/review our show at iTunes, Stitcher or Spotify. Follow us @allindustry. Thanks for being a part of All in the Industry®. Stay safe and well.

Image courtesy of Gabrielle Geiselman.

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