Born and raised in England, I fell in love with cooking early, inspired by my family’s passion for fresh, wholesome food. My career has taken me around the world, with roles in top kitchens and culinary education. After facing personal health challenges with my family, I saw the true power of food to heal and nourish. Now, I’m passionate about sharing simple, nutrient-dense recipes and tips for living a healthy, balanced life.

Along the way, I’ve honed my skills at prestigious culinary schools, worked in restaurants around the world, and held roles like Corporate Executive Chef at Forever Oceans, Director of Culinary Nutrition at the Dole Food Company, and Dean of Culinary Arts Education at Johnson & Wales University.

Midlife Wellness & Beyond is Mark’s latest endeavor—a movement designed to inspire others to embrace life with vitality, quality, and longevity well into their midlife and golden years. Because these years shouldn’t be a slow decline; they should be the very best yet.

Chef Andres interned at EL Cingle, a 2 Michelin Star Restaurant in Barcelona, Spain at the age of 20. Previously, he was the Executive Chef for the Hilton Charlotte Center City.

Chef Andres is excited to use his collective experiences from around the world to fuel his inspiration for diverse dishes that the Queen City has yet to experience. Influenced by his South American culture, Chef Prussing works with local vendors, bringing in fresh, high-quality ingredients from across North Carolina to produce a menu that will continue to transform the Queen City’s food scene.

Chef Jay Z started his culinary career back in 1991 after Grandma Jane said, “This tuna sandwich is delicious, you should go to cook school!” Culinary school rocked, and after many culinary/hospitality career experiences he has a deep commitment to fostering child nutrition with “5 a day the color way”, teaching school-age kids, and adults, the ABCs of eating healthfully so they’ll grow up as healthier adults. After 4 years serving as president of the Local ACF Chefs of Charlotte Chapter, he is now Chair of the Board. Currently, Chef Jay Z works as the corporate R&D chef with Morrison Healthcare. He says, “Food is Medicine”.

Chef Chris Aquilino is chef, culinary architect, brand ambassador and artist with 30 plus years of industry experience.

Chef Chris is the culinary driving force behind many national concepts specializing in recipe development, branded content creation, smart menu design, culinary sustainability, food waste management and recovery food styling, and photography.

Chris is the Chief Culinary Officer for Further Culinary Group, a boutique food service consulting and creative firm out of Charlotte NC and the Director of Culinary Development at Elior North America.

Owner of The Flipside Restaurant Goup LLC in Fort Mill SC with wife Amy Fortes. With Jon’s travels around the country, he has grown to appreciate and recognize the importance of local cuisine and a strong commitment to farm-to-plate cuisine. Jon best describes his cuisine as an upscale southern style of preparing and presenting food.

Jon lives in Fort Mill with his wife Amy and is the proud father of Brennan and Dylan.

“I like to think that I create food that people can associate with on many levels. It’s really just a matter of taking the best, freshest ingredients and presenting them on the plate without confusing the situation.”

After five years with the Harper’s Restaurant Group at Zink American Kitchen, Amy left to start what is now The Flipside Restaurant Group and Kumpfortes, LLC with her husband Jon Fortes. Flipside has become a well-known staple in the community and has won awards like “Best of the Best: Grits” 2015 for Charlotte Magazine as well as “Best Unknown Restaurant”.

Amy has made it her passion to not only cook and serve locally inspired cuisine, but to know the community that she is working for. She grew from having a passion for preparing food to that of one for the relationship between great food and great people. She currently lives in Fort Mill, SC with her husband Jon and is a blessed step mom of his two wonderful sons Brennan and Dylan.

Owner of Mano Bella Uptown and SouthPark CLT

Born and raised in Rome, Italy, Chef Raffaele was inspired by and instructed from his "nonna." With no formal training, he moved to America in his early twenties to marry his wife (and current business partner) and began his career in Pasadena, California where he quickly found himself working for a former Executive Chef of The Walt Disney Concert Hall.

When he moved to Charlotte in 2018, he worked his way into the kitchen at Mama Ricottas where he stayed for a couple of years before he and his wife, Madison, started selling fresh pasta at local farmers markets. They now own two locations, which continuing at the farmers markets, and provide fresh, artisanal pasta for several big restaurants in Charlotte.

Roshni’s global travels and culinary expertise led India Currents to name her one of the top 5 Indian chefs in the U.S. in 2016. She has been featured on Hell’s Kitchen with Gordon Ramsay, who praised her as a “passionate, well-rounded chef,” and appeared on Cutthroat Kitchen and Beat Bobby Flay. She also cooked a 7-course Indian-inspired vegetarian meal at the James Beard House and participated in the James Beard Bootcamp.

Roshni has earned numerous awards, including “Top Chef Las Vegas” (2016), and her dishes have been celebrated at events like the Austin Wine & Dine Festival and Masala, Mendhi, Masti. She has shared the stage with culinary icons at festivals like Mohegan Sun Wine Fest and continues to champion Indian cuisine on a national stage.

James Beard Nominee 2025

Owner of Your Farms and your Table & Restaurant Constance

Partner Chef at HopeWay

His goal was to create a community-wide narrative about the food we eat and the people who provide it. By going to the farms and purchasing from them directly, Diminich learned more about their personal stories to tell alongside the food he was cooking.

“That’s how Your Farms Your Table was born. We’ve all had to pivot. We’ve had to adapt and find a way to be positive. Food has always been a unifying element in our lives; an opportunity to step away from life’s distractions and embrace togetherness. This was my pivot. Supporting our local suppliers, supporting our local community, and telling the stories behind the food so that in my small way, I was ensuring a continuing connection between guests and farmers.”

In 2020, Sam defeated Bobby Flay in a memorable battle of Lobster Risotto on Beat Bobby Flay. Recently nominated for a James Beard Award, Chef Sam also partners with HopeWay, a mental wellness institute, using his journey to inspire and support others in overcoming challenges.

Samantha is now home at L’Ostrica and will contribute her wide-ranging talents to their seasonal tasting menus, including sweet courses, mignardises, and bread service, as well as savory courses with pastry elements. You will also see her influence on Sunday Suppers. Guests of L’Ostrica can enjoy her contributions on their tasting menus and ‘Pop up Pasta’ evenings.

Chef Mason Martinez is a private chef, leader, mentor and seasoned culinarian who has worked in commercial foodservice from dishwasher to executive chef in some of the best kitchens in the Carolinas, including private event, test kitchen and fine dining. He is proud to have deep experience in a wide variety of cuisines, from classic American and Asian to Mediterranean and Italian.

Chef Mason sat as Director of Culinary for Swanson Girard Associates, where his innovative menus continue to garner recognition and awards. His ultimate passion can be found in the growth of the greater culinary community through ongoing education and support.

You can find Chef Mason curating Private Dining Events and being a chef rockstar!