Vivian Howard facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vivian Howard
Howard at the 73rd Annual Peabody Awards
Nationality	American
Citizenship	United States
Education	Salem Academy Virginia Episcopal School
Alma mater	North Carolina State University Institute of Culinary Education
Occupation	Chef Restaurateur Author Television host
Known for	A Chef's Life
Awards	Peabody Award 2014

Vivian Howard is a famous American chef, restaurant owner, author, and TV host. She is known for sharing the food and cooking traditions of eastern North Carolina. From 2013 to 2018, she hosted the PBS TV show A Chef's Life. This show was filmed at her restaurant, Chef & the Farmer, in Kinston, North Carolina.

In 2014, Vivian Howard made history. She was the first woman since Julia Child to win a Peabody Award for a cooking show. She has also written two popular cookbooks: Deep Run Roots (2017) and This Will Make It Taste Good (2020).

Early Life and Education

Vivian Howard grew up in Deep Run, North Carolina. This is a small town near Kinston. Her parents, John and Scarlett Howard, were farmers. They raised hogs and grew crops like tobacco and corn.

When she was 14, Vivian went to Salem Academy. This was an all-girls boarding school. Later, she attended Virginia Episcopal School. In 2001, she graduated from North Carolina State University. She earned a degree in English Language. During college, she studied cooking in Argentina for a semester.

After college, Vivian moved to New York City. She first worked in advertising. But she soon realized her passion was food. She started working as a waitress at a restaurant called Voyage. The head chef there, Scott Barton, became her first cooking teacher.

Becoming a Chef

Vivian Howard studied at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. She graduated in 2004. She then trained at famous restaurants like wd~50 and Spice Market.

Vivian met Ben Knight while they worked at Voyage. They started a small business together. They made and delivered soup from their apartment. People wanted them to open a restaurant in New York. But Vivian's parents offered them a chance to open a restaurant in Kinston.

In 2005, Vivian and Ben moved to North Carolina. They opened Chef & the Farmer in 2006. It was in an old building that used to be a print shop. The restaurant uses many ingredients from local farms. Over 60% of their food comes from within 90 miles.

Chef & the Farmer makes new versions of classic Southern dishes. Vivian often learns these recipes from older people in her community. She believes it's important to learn from their wisdom.

In 2012, the Chef & the Farmer building had a fire. But it was rebuilt and reopened. In 2022, the restaurant closed for a short time. It reopened in December 2024 with a new style. It now has "The Counter" and "The Kitchen Bar."

Vivian and Ben also opened other restaurants. In 2013, they opened the Boiler Room. It served oysters and burgers. In 2017, they opened Benny's Big Time Pizzeria in Wilmington, NC. In 2021, Vivian opened Lenoir in Charleston, SC. This restaurant also has a sister café called Handy + Hot.

Cookbooks

Vivian Howard has written two cookbooks. Her first book, Deep Run Roots - Stories and Recipes from my Corner of the South, came out in 2016. It was a New York Times Bestseller. In 2017, it won four awards from the International Association of Culinary Professionals. These included Cookbook of the Year.

Her second cookbook, This Will Make It Taste Good: A New Path to Simple Cooking, was released in 2020. This book teaches people how to make tasty meals using simple flavor bases. Vivian also writes a column for the magazine Garden & Gun.

Television Shows

A Chef's Life

In 2011, Vivian wanted to save old food traditions. She worked with her friend Cynthia Hill, a filmmaker. They made a pilot episode for a TV show. PBS picked up the show, called A Chef's Life. It aired nationally from 2013 to 2018. The show helped bring many fans to Chef & the Farmer. It also helped Kinston's economy grow.

Somewhere South

In 2020, Vivian Howard returned to PBS. She hosted a new show called Somewhere South. This show has six parts. It explores different dishes that are popular across many cultures.

Awards and Recognition

Vivian Howard and her restaurants have won many awards.

• A Chef's Life won a Peabody Award in 2014. It also won a Daytime Emmy in 2015 for Best Directing. In 2016, Vivian won a James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Culinary Host.
• Vivian was nominated for many other James Beard Foundation Awards. She was also a semifinalist for Best Chef Southeast several times.
• Chef & the Farmer has received the AAA Four Diamond Award seven times. It also won a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. In 2011, it was named one of OpenTable's Top 100 Restaurants in America.

Personal Life

Vivian Howard was married to artist Ben Knight. They were business partners at Chef & the Farmer. They met while working together in New York City. Vivian and Ben lived on her family's land in Deep Run, North Carolina. They have twins named Florence and Theodore. In early 2023, Vivian shared that they had divorced.

Images for kids

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  Vivian Howard at an awards ceremony.