Chef Tiffany Derry is certainly keeping herself busy. The celebrated restaurateur, entrepreneur, television personality and two-time James Beard Award finalist will soon open her fifth restaurant in Texas next year, further expanding her gastronomic empire. But her endeavors don’t stop there. Teaming up with business partner Thomas Foley, Derry is channeling her expertise into an exciting new venture: the Shef Food + Wine Festival.
Set in Grand Prairie, just outside Dallas, Texas, this new festival puts the “she” in “chef,” celebrating community, diversity, and the vibrant local food scene. “I’m passionate about empowering under-resourced industry workers, especially Black women, so I thought ‘Shef’ was the perfect name for my spice and apparel line, and now, food festival,” explains Derry. The festival spotlights outstanding culinary talent and brings together food enthusiasts from all walks of life for exclusive food and drink experiences.
Over three days, Derry and other culinary stars transformed the Dallas hospitality scene, beginning with an intimate four-course dinner and wine pairing by Derry alongside esteemed chefs Suchanan Aksornnan, Dawn Burrell and Michael Voltaggio at Derry’s Radici Wood Fired Grill. The meal started with craft cocktails and delectable appetizers like Italian seafood salad, steak tartare and barbecue pork belly.
For the first course, Derry prepared a vegetarian ceviche, combining beets, persimmon, cucumber, avocado, plantains and lime. Aksornnan followed with a savory cod dish bathed in Tom Kha broth and topped with asparagus, enoki mushrooms, crispy noodles and roe. Voltaggio’s third course included a sumptuous beef cheek with cheese and charcoal sachetti. Burrell concluded the dinner with a dessert that left an indelible impression—a cheddar cheese pound cake artfully accompanied by apples, cheddar cream and bacon.
Day two kicked off with excitement as participants enjoyed a fun-filled pickleball tournament, sponsored by Still G.I.N. Following the spirited competition, an award ceremony took place, honoring local culinary students demonstrating exceptional talent and potential. As the afternoon unfolded, attendees could choose between a wine-tasting class led by Robin McBride of McBride Sisters Wine or a spirit-tasting and cocktail-making class, where participants mixed classic cocktails using Uncle Nearest whiskeys.
A panel discussion moderated by Courtney Smith of Eater Dallas on “Creating the Recipe for a More Equitable Hospitality Industry” provided insights and inspiration from “Top Chef” winner Kelsey Barnard Clark, “Top Chef” alum Tavel Bristol-Joseph, James Beard Award-winning chef Erick Williams and hospitality professional Seth Rankin. There was also a VIP lounge experience at The Warehouse at Epic Central featuring Black-owned spirits brands GO3 Vodka and Uncle Nearest.
The second day culminated with the Grand Tasting on Epic Central’s lawn, offering delicious samplings from renowned chefs across the U.S. In addition to Derry and the chef panelists, other participating chefs at the Grand Tasting included Kwame Onwuachi of Tatiana and Dōgon in New York and Washington, D.C., Kevin Bludso of Bludso’s BBQ in Los Angeles, Tim Hollingsworth of Otium in Los Angeles, Silvia Barban of Larina Pastificio e Vino in Brooklyn, Marcus Davis of The Breakfast Klub in Houston, Arnold Myint of International Market in Nashville and Dallas-based private chef Fitzgerald Dodd. The Grand Tasting also featured a live DJ and performances by the local band DreamSound.
The festival concluded on the third day with the debut of “Mimosas & Matinee,” showcasing Carla Hall’s one-woman show. This comedic performance marked the first time audiences have experienced Hall’s transformation into her “Inner Auntie” persona.
Derry says, “Through this festival, I wanted to bring everyone together to drive positive change in the industry, with an emphasis on helping young professionals.” This mission fuels her hospitality group, T2D Concepts, which operates several restaurants, including Roots Southern Table. One of the festival’s partners is the Texas Restaurant Foundation, which receives a portion of festival funds to support the development of Recipe, a learning platform designed to foster personal development and professional growth within the culinary community. The festival also supports a scholarship offered by the Dallas chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International.
Beyond these initiatives, Derry hopes participants walk away with a deeper appreciation for the culinary arts and diverse food cultures. “Our goal is to connect people through the universal language of food, and we want everyone to feel the joy and passion we have for what we do,” says Derry. As the festival expands, so too will the opportunities it creates. Looking ahead, Derry aspires to broaden the festival’s reach and impact, “returning bigger and better next year.”
This article first appeared on Forbes.
