Other
Kim Severson
James Beard Award winner
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
Food reporter at The New York Times, Kim Severson has built a career on reporting that treats food as a way to understand culture and public life. Born in the Midwest to a big Italian Catholic family, she has described her work as looking at food as cultural currency.
The Path
Early in their career, Kim worked as features writer at Anchorage Daily News (1991–1998), food writer at San Francisco Chronicle (1999–2004), food writer at The New York Times (2004–2010), and Atlanta bureau chief at The New York Times (2010–2014). Today, Kim is food reporter of The New York Times (since 2014).
The Work Today
She is a food reporter at The New York Times. Her own summary is direct: "I’m a Midwesterner by birth, from a big Italian Catholic family."
In Their Words “I keep an eye on how we grow our food, who cooks it and how we eat it, so I can tell larger stories about where we are as a culture and where we are heading.” “I look at food as cultural currency, and I think every story has a food angle.”
Acclaim
Kim's honors include James Beard Award for Newspaper Series, James Beard Award for Newspaper Feature Writing Without Recipes, James Beard Award for Newspaper Feature Writing About Restaurants and/or Chefs, Pulitzer Prize for Public Service (2018), and Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Kim
What is Kim Severson's current role?
As of 2026, Kim Severson is food reporter.
Where did Kim Severson work before?
Kim Severson's earlier career included Anchorage Daily News, San Francisco Chronicle, and The New York Times.
What recognition has Kim Severson received?
James Beard Award for Newspaper Series (2003).
