Mashama Bailey

Mashama Bailey is a chef recognized for her expertise in Southern cuisine and her influence within the culinary industry. Bailey's approach to cooking is informed by her background in social work, her experience in professional kitchens, and her journey from New York City to the Deep South. Trained in French culinary technique, she specializes in Southern cuisine, blending personal history with culinary tradition. Her formal education includes the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City and La Varenne in Burgundy, France, where she studied under food writer and teacher Anne Willan. Bailey spent more than a decade cooking in New York City, including several years at Prune on Manhattan's Lower East Side under chef Gabrielle Hamilton.

Bailey's partnership with entrepreneur John O. Morisano led to the creation of The Grey in Historic Downtown Savannah, a restaurant located in a restored 1938 art deco Greyhound Bus Terminal. The Grey showcases Bailey's interpretation of Port City Southern food, drawing on her diverse experiences to create layered and historically resonant dishes. Together, Bailey and Morisano also founded The Grey Spaces hospitality group, which operates The Grey Market in Savannah and has expanded to include the Diner Bar and The Grey Market Austin in the Thompson Hotel in Austin, Texas.

Bailey has received significant recognition for her work at The Grey, including the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast and the distinction of being the first Black woman to win the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef. The Grey has been named Eater's Restaurant of the Year and was listed among the best 100 places in the world by Time. Bailey appeared as a featured chef on the sixth season of Netflix's "Chef's Table," becoming the first African American chef to be featured on the show, and was a guest on season 14 of "Top Chef." Her international presence includes opening L'Arret in Paris, France.

In addition to her culinary achievements, Bailey is an advocate for Black culinary heritage. She co-authored "Black, White, and The Grey" with Morisano, a book that explores their experiences navigating race, class, and culture while building businesses in the South. As chairwoman of the Edna Lewis Foundation, Bailey works to honor Edna Lewis's legacy by creating opportunities for African Americans in cooking, agriculture, food studies, and storytelling. Bailey continues to use her platform to highlight Black culinary history in America and support the next generation of chefs.