Benjamin smith

Connect What is your signature dish?

My cooking style leans into Scandinavian-inspired minimalism, seasonal ingredients, and highlighting local farms and producers through low-waste cooking. My signature dish changes with the seasons, but currently it is a caramelized white chocolate mousse with limoncello-marinated strawberries and a citrus almond tuile. I’m also known for refined seafood dishes, delicate sauces, soups, and ingredient led cooking.

Who is your culinary inspiration?

My greatest culinary inspiration is my mother, who taught me the importance of hospitality, generosity, and bringing people together through food. Professionally, I’m deeply inspired by Massimo Bottura and Thomas Keller for their dedication to refinement, storytelling, discipline, and elevating local ingredients while maintaining a strong sense of identity and purpose.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would use the $25,000 to help bring to life a farm-to-table culinary and wellness experience on my family’s farm in South Carolina. The vision is to create immersive gatherings centered around local food, nature, and hospitality — including seasonal dinners, orchard events, wellness experiences, and curated chef’s table evenings that support local farms and producers. The goal is to build something that feels both elevated and deeply connected to the land.