Joshua Stokes

Hailing from the Midwest, Josh’s affection for food was cultivated in a cornfield, not the kitchen. No frills food was his upbringing. He always had enjoyed eating, and started cooking professionally at a pizza joint in high school. However, fine food didn't make itself known to him as a vocation until a college spring break trip to New Orleans saw his booze budget being funneled into restaurants instead. He was hooked.

In 1999 Joshua took a hiatus from the pursuit of a sculpture degree to try his hand as a professional chef. New York opened many doors around the world. By 2001 Joshua had made his way to Italy and was working in some of its greatest restaurants. Returning to the New York restaurant scene, Joshua made his way through some of the city’s great kitchens, before making the transition to private service. Again, traveling the globe, Joshua acted as private chef to some of the biggest names in the financial and entertainment industries; picking up on worldly tricks throughout his travels.

By the end of 2008, Joshua was on the hunt for something more meaningful to do with his skill set. Thus was born Grill-A-Chef , an organization built around helping people help themselves cook and eat better.

These days Josh spends much of his time in markets around the city dishing out free cooking advice to shoppers and cooks in need.