| A Chef's Life | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Cynthia Hill, Vivian Howard |
| Starring | Vivian Howard |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 61 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 28–30 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | PBS |
| Release | September 7, 2013 – October 22, 2018 |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
A Chef's Life was an American documentary-style cooking show created by Cynthia Hill and Vivian Howard. The series was produced by Markay Media and was broadcast by PBS. The series premiered September 7, 2013, and its final episode, a series special called The Final Harvest, aired on October 22, 2018.
A Chef's Life was primarily filmed at the Chef & The Farmer restaurant in Kinston, North Carolina. Vivian Howard is head chef and her husband, Ben Knight, is general manager. They are also co-owners. Season 1 (2013) consisted of 13 half-hour episodes. Season 2 (2014) consisted of 14 half-hour episodes and an hour-long holiday special. Season 3 (2015) consisted of 13 half-hour episodes. Season 4 featured 10 episodes. Season 5 featured 10 episodes. The series finale, The Final Harvest, debuted in October 2018.
Both Cynthia Hill and Vivian Howard grew up in Lenoir County, North Carolina, Hill in Pink Hill and Howard in Deep Run. Vivian Howard and Cynthia Hill's younger sister were friends growing up. Both Hill and Howard left their small, rural communities and returned again years later, Vivian to open Chef & the Farmer, and Cynthia to focus on southern storytelling. Said Hill, "My films are all based on something I can see from my own backyard, issues and subjects that are near and dear to me."
The show won a Peabody Award on April 2, 2014 and a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Culinary Program on April 26, 2018. The show was nominated for two other Daytime Emmys in 2018: Outstanding Culinary Host and Outstanding Directing.[1] The show was also nominated for a Daytime Emmy in 2015 for Outstanding Single Camera Photography and was a 2014 James Beard broadcast award finalist.
Howard is working on a new show for PBS called South By Somewhere, which will consist of six, one-hour episodes. The show will premiere in 2020 and, according to Howard, will "continue to highlight Kinston and the South."[2]