Brad Leone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brad Leone
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Leone in 2023
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| Born | May 16, 1985 Sussex County, New Jersey, U.S.
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| Culinary career | |
| Cooking style | Fermentation |
| Education | Institute of Culinary Education |
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Television show(s)
It's Alive with Brad
It's Alive: Goin' Places Making Perfect It's Alive: @ Home Tastebuds |
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Brad Samuel Leone (born May 16, 1985) is an American chef and YouTube star. He became famous for his fun videos on the Bon Appétit YouTube channel. He is best known as the host of It's Alive with Brad and its spin-off show, It's Alive: Goin' Places.
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Brad Leone's Early Life and Learning
Brad Leone was born on May 16, 1985, in northern New Jersey. Before becoming a chef, he had many different jobs. He worked as a caterer, in a delicatessen, and as a chef in several restaurants. He even worked as a glazier (someone who installs glass) and a carpenter.
When he was 26, Brad moved to Brooklyn, New York. There, he studied cooking at the Institute of Culinary Education. He became very interested in fermentation after someone gave him a SCOBY, which is used to make fermented foods.
Brad Leone's Career Journey
After finishing culinary school, Brad started as an intern at Bon Appétit magazine. He worked as a test kitchen assistant. This job meant he did a lot of shopping, cleaning, and washing dishes. He even joked that it was "a glorified dishwashing job." Later, he got a full-time job and eventually became the Test Kitchen Manager.
How It's Alive Started
In 2016, Bon Appétit wanted to make more videos for YouTube. Two people, Alex Grossman and Vincent Cross, thought of a web series starring Brad in the test kitchen. The first video showed Brad making kombucha, a fermented drink. This video was put aside for eight months. But then, Vincent Cross convinced the magazine to post it.
The video came out on October 21, 2016. It was the first episode of It's Alive with Brad. It quickly became very popular, with over 4 million views!
What Makes It's Alive Special?
It's Alive with Brad became a regular show. Brad often makes food using special microbial food cultures, which are tiny living things that help food change. Later episodes also showed general recipes and Brad traveling to different places.
The show is known for its funny editing and Brad's relaxed cooking style. People have said it's like a mix of a cooking show, a travel show, and a continuous blooper reel. The fun, personality-driven style of It's Alive helped change how Condé Nast, the company that owns Bon Appétit, made online videos.
Brad's Focus on Videos
In late 2018, Brad stopped being the Test Kitchen Manager. He wanted to focus only on making videos. In 2019, a spin-off show called It's Alive: Goin' Places started. The first season followed Brad in Central Texas, and the second season showed him in Hawaii.
Brad was even nominated for an award in 2019, called the 11th Shorty Awards, for his work on It's Alive. He also appeared in other Bon Appétit shows like Making Perfect.
In December 2022, Brad decided to leave his full-time job at Bon Appétit. He announced that he would be making many new videos for his own YouTube channel in 2023. On June 5, 2023, he launched two new shows on his channel: "Local Legends" and "Makin’ It".
Brad Leone's Personal Life
Brad Leone, his partner Peggy, and their two sons used to live in New Jersey. In early 2021, they moved to Connecticut.
