Behind the Scenes
This podcast is first and foremost for those in the food industry, to share their stories and generate empathy both behind and beyond the table.
The host of Kitchen Trenches is Amber Chase, a food writer + editor based in North Carolina. Formerly from the industry herself, she knows the grit it takes to work on the line, behind the bar, and facing the customer. She is currently the Digital Director at The Local Palate magazine but still likes to volunteer alongside chefs and nonprofits engaging with food education, sustainability, and industry advocacy.
Our music is produced by Bryan Wehrkamp and our design is by Adam Dixon. Headshot credit to Jess Martin and peaches by Miss Angel’s Farm + Orchard.
Special thanks to interviewees, friends, family, and supporters.
About Southern Smoke Foundation
Founded in 2015 by James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd and Executive Director Lindsey Brown, Southern Smoke Foundation provides access to no-cost mental health services through its program, Behind You, and emergency relief funding to food and beverage (F+B) workers nationwide. This includes restaurant, bar, and cafe workers; farmers and ranchers; winemakers, distillers, and brewers; and anyone in the industry faced with financial hardship because of a medical emergency, accident, or other unforeseen incident.
Since 2017, SSF has provided more than $15.6M in emergency relief funds to F&B workers facing crises, and since 2020, has provided access to more than 10,000 no-cost counseling sessions to F+B workers across 12 states and Washington D.C.
Contact us.
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For questions regarding episodes, interviewee nominations, general inquiries, or feedback:
email us at kitchentrenches@proton.me
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We take our partnerships very seriously and want to seek out relationships that will be beneficial to both our listeners and our partners.
If that’s you, drop us a line at