by TM Petaccia

The Carolinas entered last night’s 2026 James Beard Chef & Restaurant Awards a bit under-represented, with only two finalist nominations each in North and South Carolina, but our region may have garnered the evening’s biggest surprise.

Taylor Montgomery received the Best Chef: Southeast award for his work at his Montgomery Sky Farm in Leicester, North Carolina, just outside of Asheville. What makes the recognition somewhat unconventional is that there is no day-to-day restaurant at the farm. He took honors solely based on his semi-monthly farm dinners and private bookings (currently sold out through October).

In accepting the award, Montgomery said, “I just want to thank the James Beard Foundation not only for recognizing us but for finding us. We’re just a small farm in Leicester, North Carolina. I left mainstream restaurants about two years ago to concentrate all my attention on the farm. I have a team here on stage with me that truly believes in our mission and vision to do so. Also to create a dining program at the farm that focuses on heirloom vegetable varieties that we’re losing. There’s a lot more vegetables in the world than what we find on those grocery store shelves. We want to spread that awareness of just what we’re losing in that. diversity and the safety in that diversity.”

Montgomery first earned regional recognition for his work at Urban Wren in Greenville, South Carolina, where he was from its opening in May 2020 until his departure in July 2024. (The restaurant permanently closed in January 2025). The restaurant won a number accolades, including several “Best of the Upstate” awards, noted for local sourcing and culinary fusion techniques.

Even before his time at Urban Wren, his belief in the “seed-to-plate” concept led Montgomery and his wife Fran to purchase 50 acres of farmland in Buncombe County in 2018, which they used as a learning experience and side project until developing it fully in 2025.

The couple farms the land using non-invasive regenerative techniques which focus on developing and maintaining natural soil health and improving water retention, the overall philosophy being, “put more into the land than you take out of it.”

Harvests (along with responsibly sourced proteins) then serve for the basis for the farm’s seasonal dinners and farm tour picnics, as well as tasting and private events.

The farm also raises a variety of livestock and poultry, including Scottish Highland cattle and capybaras as well as serves as a home for rescued farm animals, under the name Final Run Rescue.

There were no other Carolina winners last night.

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