Chef Adrienne Cheatham grew up in the kitchens of the restaurants her mother managed in Chicago. After attending Florida A&M University, she moved to New York City, working for chefs across the city while attending the Institute of Culinary Education. Upon graduation, she was offered a job at Le Bernardin where she remained for eight years moving up the ranks to become Executive Sous Chef. During that time she also worked with Chef Eric Ripert on his television show, Avec Eric, as well as the cookbook of the same name.

After helping to open the Aldo Sohm Wine Bar and Privé in 2014, Adrienne left to join the Marcus Samuelsson Group as the Chef de Cuisine, where she opened Streetbird, for which she received a Michelin Bib Gourmand. She then became the Executive Chef of Red Rooster in Harlem where she tested, edited, cooked and styled the restaurant’s cookbook. 

Adrienne competed on season 15 of Top Chef, making it to the finale and finishing second. She has been featured as a speaker at Cherry Bombe Magazine’s annual Jubilee festival and was the subject of a New York Times documentary series titled “Tastemakers.” Adrienne has appeared in Food & Wine, US Weekly, Sports Illustrated online, Food Network’s Star Plates with Mindy Kaling, Grubstreet, Eater, AM New York, among others. Adrienne shares a home in Harlem with her best friend and husband, Stephen Bailey and recently released her first cookbook also titled Sunday Best, from Clarkson Potter.

Why did you want to partner with Our Pantry?

The most exciting part is that Our Pantry is doing so much great legwork and sourcing ingredients from not only sustainable but regenerative farms when they can. A lot of companies when you try to do a product with them seem to lower their standards to be able to get something cheaper and easier to source—not Our Pantry.

What is one of your favorite kitchen shortcuts?

My favorite kitchen shortcuts are rough chopping and then putting everything in a food processor to finely chop it. I don’t finely mince carrots and celery into perfect little diced cubes…I cut them into one inch pieces, pop them into the food processor and pulse it a few times.

Why does Our Pantry's mission of having fully traceable ingredients resonate with you?

Doing research on every ingredient—that’s a lot of responsibility for chefs or for somebody who’s got a life and a job and kids. That’s a lot of responsibility for anybody. Our Pantry does that homework and lets you feel good about making that decision to use their products. 

Why is cooking special to you?

Cooking is a real, tangible way to spread love and show people that you care.