Meherwan Irani

Meherwan Irani is a chef and restauranteur changing the perception of Indian food in America through his growing restaurant and spice empire in the South’s most essential culinary cities. He is a leading voice in the industry’s conversation around diversity and cultural exchange. In 2022, Meherwan’s flagship restaurant in Asheville, Chai Pani, was named Outstanding Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation. Meherwan was named by TIME Magazine as one of the “31 People Changing The South” and is a five-time James Beard Foundation Awards semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast.

Meherwan leads a team of more than 300 as Co-Founder, Chef and CEO of Chai Pani Restaurant Group, which includes nine locations: Chai Pani Asheville, Chai Pani Decatur, Botiwalla Charlotte, Buxton Hall Barbecue, Buston Chicken Palace, Nani’s Piri Piri CHicken in Atlanta, and spice brand Spicewalla, which has two outposts in Asheville and Atlanta.

Meherwan grew up in Ahmednagar, in the midwestern state of Maharashtra in India, and he came to the U.S. at age 20. In 2009, he and his wife and business partner, Molly, introduced Asheville, North Carolina, to the colors, flavors and faces of India with Chai Pani.

Chef Nikita Skippings

Chef Nik is the owner and executive chef of Crackpot Kitchen, a restaurant, bar and grill that specializes in Caribean cuisine and culture. He is also the Turks and Caicos Culinary Amassador and the host and producer of the Crackpot Kitchen Cooking Show, the first televised cooking show in the country.

Chef Vans Cox

Born and raised on the beautiful island of South Caicos, Chef Cox prides himself in creating epic flavors with a native and international twist.

Donvonno Cox is a self taught Chef who fell in love with the kitchen since high school. Growing up in a family that loves food, Chef Cox finds himself wanting to create food that his family, friends and all others will enjoy.

Joey Higgs

Hi, my name is Joey Higgs, founder & operator of Nathan’s Desserts & Charcuterie Company. Founded in Februrary 2015, which was only intended to be a seasonal business suddenly became one of the only and most successful cheesecake businesses throughout the TCI.

Out of all businesses to be in, why cheesecake? The answer is easy… I loved eating it so much that I tried making it from scratch to share with family and friends. Self taught with a little help from Youtube, little that I knew that this little attempt of mine would become internationally known and popular throughout the islands. From being in magazines, blogs, newspapers, supermarket shelves and restaurant menus, Nathan’s has made a name for itself. August 8th, 2023. I was honored to have a cafe of my own opened up on Leeward Highway, Providenciales. With my love for baking cheesecakes I ‘ve had the honor of expanding my menu to charcuterie boards and other foods as well. When I’m not in the kitchen, I love spending time with my son, hanging out with family & close friends or just simply watching basketball & football.

Chef Renarda Williams

Renarda Williams is a self taught chef and food personality. She the owner and executive chef of the locally owned business Avita’s Catering located in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos islands. With over 10 years experience, she believes in providing a delicious, and memorable experience through food.

Chef Williams said “Being a self motivated chef, my sincere devotion, hard-working attitude, and my passion were rewarded the turning point in my life, followed by a series of local and international catering and private chef experiences. It was during those experiences that I was able to establish my knowledge of, and confirm my passion for the various cultures and traditions related to food and produce.”

Chef Deanna Malcolm

Deanna is extremely laid back island girl but has a quiet intensity when she latches onto something. That intensity has driven her catering career, which she came to unexpectedly; it all started at the age of 11 cooking fry chicked and Macaroni and cheese every Friday after school for her brother and cousins. “I’m such a hard-core person and loves a challenge in the kitchen, cooking was the magic word.”

Omar Harvey

Distinctive, addictive, cracking, picking, sucking, finger lick’n, Seafood Hub and its seafood inspired menu offers fresh seafood such as oysters, king crab, snow crab, crawfish, blue crab, dungeness crab, jonah crab and etc daily. The restaurant is a casual but luxurious celebration of seafood that combines the sophistication and refinement of head turning motion while you dig in!

Our menu is bursting with fresh tasty seafood, authentic cajun spices, and southern-style hospitality that will make you feel like part of the family. From our finger lick’n boils’ with our famous signature butter sauce to our savory gumbo and perfectly popular deep fried shrimp. Seafood Hub for the win, it’s the sauce for you and us!

Ingrid Simmons

From Kitchen to Confections: A Homemade Delights Journey is the inspiring biography of Inky’s Sweets & Treats, a small business that has captured the hearts and taste uds of sweet lovers everywhere. This heartfelt story recounts the humble beginnings, challenges, and triumphs of a passionate entrepreneur who turned her love for homemade sweets and treats into a successful venture.

A Sweet Dream Takes Shape where we delve into the early life and influences that sparked the passion for baking in Ingrid. From childhood memories of baking and sweets making with loved ones to experimenting with recipes, we witness the foundation of her culinary journey.

“This skill was taught in our family from my maternal great grandmother to my grandmother then later from my grandmother to my mother. What is most special to me is that I had the rare and unique opportunity to witness these skills from each of them until their passing. I grew up eager to make candies, milk dulce, coconut dulce, fudge, brittle, cream cakes, ginger or banana bread, bread and cookie as these were activities where a number of family members would engage in while creating sweet and savory delicacies we bonded as a family. My love and passion is fueled by my commitment to continue this legacy in their honor while maintaining consistent quality in preserving the handmade touch.” Making its first debut in 2010 as an official licensed business venture, Ingrid’s sweet delights has been a popular demand across the Turks and Caicos Islands most significantly used during local cultural and heritage events and displays.