Other
Alison Settle
James Beard Award winner
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
James Beard nominee in 2022, Alison Settle came to the kitchen after years spent elsewhere, first in a preschool and then as an au pair in Munich, Germany. About seven years in early childhood work built habits that map cleanly onto kitchen service: routine, patience, repetition, attention to small things. In Munich, cooking for the family became the point where the work changed shape. “I cooked for the family a lot, and that was the first time I realized that people like to eat my food,” she says. The line is plain, and so is the turn it describes.
The Climb
Training at Sullivan University gave Settle the technical base for professional kitchen work. Her first industry step was an internship at Seviche in Louisville, Kentucky, where the tempo and precision of a service kitchen became daily reality. From there, she worked as line cook / kitchen staff at Holy Hill Inn and Woodford Reserve in Kentucky, building repetition into practice and moving from observation to execution. Each stage added another layer to her understanding of the craft, and over time, what had once seemed like an unexpected turn became unmistakably a calling. “I thought to myself, why am I wasting time in another occupation when this is what I care about?” That realization marked the point where interest hardened into purpose. Today, Alison is Executive Chef of Barn8 Restaurant, a role she has held since 2019. The position draws on the earlier years that shaped her method: classroom training, internship discipline, and the working rhythm of line kitchens. It is advancement, but it is also continuity.
Today
It happened in a strange way. The line lingers because it fits the path: preschool rooms, a year in Munich, then the structure of professional kitchens. Settle’s career has moved by accumulation rather than declaration, and the throughline is simple enough to hold—food became the medium where skill, repetition, and direct response met.
In Their Words “I thought to myself, why am I wasting time in another occupation when this is what I care about?” “I cooked for the family a lot, and that was the first time I realized that people like to eat my food.”
Recognition
Alison's honors include James Beard Foundation Best Chef: Southeast semifinalist.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Alison
What is Alison Settle's current role?
As of 2026, Alison Settle is Executive Chef of Barn8 Restaurant.
Where did Alison Settle train or study?
Alison Settle trained at Sullivan University.
What recognition has Alison Settle received?
James Beard Foundation Best Chef: Southeast semifinalist.
