Justin Burke-Samson, former pastry chef and manager at Kindred and Hello, Sailor. Photo by Blake Pope.

Unpretentious Palate is growing.

We’re just over four months old now, but somehow, it feels as if UP has been up and running for years one day, and just weeks the next. Perhaps the years come from the belief that I’ve found what I’ve been meant to do, and I’m having so much fun doing it, that the time has passed in an instant. Thank you to my Unpretentious People, the paid subscribers who are supporting this dream of creating a platform for food journalism with a sustainable business model.

And each day, it looks more sustainable. I know that because we’ve tried Google ads and paid social media to increase our subscribers. That didn’t really work for us. You know what makes people decide to become a paid subscriber? The stories.

We hear you, and we’re so humbled by the message. You love our content. So we’re making a move to bring you more. We’re thrilled to announce our first contributing writer: Justin Burke-Samson.

Our priority in finding another voice for UP was someone who could speak with authority about food. You can find surface-level food coverage just about anywhere, but our authority, expertise, and independence mean you can trust us. When we heard Justin was stepping down as pastry chef at Kindred and Hello, Sailor to be a dad and work on a cookbook and recipe development, it felt meant to be. As much as we trust him, Justin won’t be writing about Kindred or Hello, Sailor, but there’s plenty else to keep him busy. We think you will find his insights valuable. He’ll be covering just about everything: openings, events, recipes, insider tips.

If you haven’t yet, read Justin’s story for Eater about how kitchen culture almost made him leave the industry for good, and you’ll see why we jumped at the chance to get him on our team. You’ll be seeing his byline often, but don’t worry, I’ll still be doing my thing, too. We want to bring you more of the content that convinced you to purchase a subscription. His first story for us went live yesterday, and gives you tips on how to do Queen’s Feast the right way.

And if you’re not a subscriber yet, we’d love to have your support as we continue to grow. Subscribe here. —Kristen Wile