Renowned chef and restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson is giving back to the culinary community with a new fellowship program that provides culinary professionals with a two-week experience at the Denniston Hill retreat in the Catskills.
The Red Rooster head chef took to Instagram on Jan. 15 to announce the launch of his Rise Residency at Denniston Hill, a mentorship program giving mid-career culinary professionals — including chefs, food writers, sommeliers, entrepreneurs, and recipe developers — a two-week stay at the Catskills artist retreat, along with a $5,000 stipend.
“Time to reflect, develop ideas, and build meaningful connections is rare in this industry,” Samuelsson wrote.
After the two-week retreat, fellows receive six months of mentorship with Samuelsson and other industry leaders, including Dawn Padmore, vice president of the James Beard Foundation Awards; and Chip Wade, CEO of Union Square Hospitality. Supported by the Mellon Foundation, the program aims to give creative leaders in the food space the opportunity to engage in artistic practice at a pivotal point in their careers.
“In partnership with @DennistonHill, the artist retreat co-founded by my good friend @juliemehretu, we are creating space for two individuals (whether food writers, sommeliers, chefs, or anyone else currently in the field with five or more years of experience), to experiment, learn, and grow,” Samuelsson explained.
The program aims to give creative leaders in the culinary world a chance to explore artistic practice at a pivotal moment in their careers. At the heart of the fellowship is exclusive access to The Rise Residency’s extensive food archive, highlighting the foundational role of Black culinary heritage in American cuisine.
Fellows also engage in garden-based sustainability practices at Denniston Hill. The program concludes with a community conversation series and a pop-up restaurant, where fellows present their innovative culinary projects alongside
Chef Samuelsson. The James Beard Award-winning chef aims to use the fellowship to emphasize the value of shaping the next generation of culinary leadership.“In my 30 years as a chef in the US, I’ve learned firsthand how making systemic, sustainable change in the industry starts by elevating the next generation,” Samuelsson said in a statement. “The Rise Residency at Denniston Hill represents exactly that: building a culinary residency program within a historic artist community, where professionals can develop breakthrough projects that honor Black food heritage and shape the future of American cuisine. This collaboration with Denniston Hill, with the support of the
Mellon Foundation, creates something unprecedented in hospitality education. We’re not just offering kitchen space—we’re offering what every emerging culinary leader needs: intensive mentorship, a community of creative peers, and the time to think big about impact.”RELATED CONTENT: An Executive Chef Dishes Out the Secret to Success in the Culinary Business