Raleigh chef honored nationally for activism

Raleigh's own Ashley Christensen has been named Chef of the Year by foodie blog Eater.

Posted 6:37 p.m. Dec 5, 2017 — Updated 6:15 p.m. Jul 12, 2018

Kathy Hanrahan

RALEIGH, N.C. — Raleigh's own Ashley Christensen has been named Chef of the Year by foodie blog Eater.

The site described Christensen and her restaurant empire, which includes Poole's, Beasley's Chicken and Honey, Chuck's, Fox Liquor Bar and Death and Taxes, as a "force to be reckoned with."

"In a politically charged climate, Christensen has been vocal about putting her community values into practice: Whether it’s publicly taking a stand against NC’s 'Bathroom Bill' or speaking out against sexual harassment and misogyny, Christensen leads by example," Eater representatives said in a statement.

The James Beard Award-winning chef took a stand last year against House Bill 2, the since-repealed state law that limited transgender access to public bathrooms by making her restaurants' single-occupancy bathrooms gender-neutral.

"In the past, I was careful not to hang my personal political beliefs on the front doors of my restaurants. I still believe our role as restaurant owners and workers is to make space for everyone in our community at the table. My approach has always been to make positive change from within, to create a dialogue though food, and, hopefully, to inspire positivity by leading with a sense of respect for all," Christensen wrote in an editorial for Eater last year.

This year, Eater noted that Christensen has taken on sexual harassment and misogyny by releasing her own team's policies.

The website has consistently named Poole's to its yearly 38 Essential Restaurants list.

Christensen, who won a James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Southeast in 2014, is also a finalist for a WRAL.com Voters' Choice Award for Best Local Celebrity. Voting is open until Dec. 17.

Suggest A Correction