Experience Old South ingredients in a fresh new way during the second of three Garden dinners hosted by The New South chef collective, an all-Black group of Atlanta chefs who showcase culture and cuisine through collaboration.
Date: Thursday, Sept. 17
Time: 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Fee: $125 (Member $115)
Instructors: Chefs Christan Willis, Charmain Ware-Jason, Dene Lynn, India Johnson, and Jaye Smith
non-Member Link
About Chef Christian Willis
Chef Christan Willis is a chef and media personality known for designing refined culinary experiences that blend culture, storytelling, and hospitality. In 2025, she earned the title of Food Network’s Chopped Champion and has appeared on Netflix’s Pressure Cooker and several other Food Network shows, bringing her dynamic, heritage-driven culinary perspective to national audiences. Christan is a brand ambassador for BMW Atlanta, Chef Works ambassador, a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier Atlanta, and part of The New South, a collective of chefs redefining Southern cuisine. Through luxury events, curated dinners, brand collaborations, philanthropy, and media projects, she continues to shape Atlanta’s evolving culinary landscape.
About Chef Charmain Ware-Jason
From life as a military brat to leaving home at 16 to work in Atlanta night clubs, Chef Charmain Ware-Jason’s path to the pastry world was anything but linear. Her true culinary journey began during an unexpected dark chapter when a severe car accident left her bedridden. While recovering, she watched The Food Network daily, igniting a deep passion for baking that transformed her isolation into inspiration. Prompted by a friend, she bought her first baking tools at Michael’s and applied for a culinary grant with 180° Kitchen at City of Refuge. After earning the grant, she trained under prestigious instructors and launched a career that took her to high-profile kitchens like Cirque du Soleil – TOTEM, Restaurant 356, Parish, and 2025 Michelin recommended Tiny Lou’s. Currently, she is the Executive Pastry Chef of Murphy’s in the Virginia Highlands
About Chef Dene Lynn
Chef Dene Lynn is a culinary educator, competition coach, and advocate committed to food education and community wellness. A former first-grade teacher turned chef, she trained at Atlanta Technical College and expanded her global perspective through study in Germany and an internship with the Clinton Foundation’s Alliance for a Healthier Generation. She mentors emerging culinary talent, serves as a Summer Garden Chef at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, and leads instructional programming for The Navigate Foundation. Chef Lynn is also a dedicated board member and philanthropy leader with Les Dames d’Escoffier International – Atlanta Chapter. Follow her journey @chefdenelynn.
About Chef India Johnson
Chef India’s signature cooking style is an expressive fusion of Caribbean soul and Southern heritage, shaped by her upbringing and lifelong relationship with food. Born into a vibrant Trinidadian and Southern African American family, Chef India Johnson brings a rich cultural lineage to every plate she creates. Originally from Queens, N.Y., partially raised in Asheville, N.C., and now rooted in Atlanta, GA, she has always been surrounded by flavor, storytelling, and the artistry of food.
What began as being “the favorite chef among friends” as a young adult quickly evolved into a professional calling in 2011, leading her to train with seasoned chefs who helped refine her natural talent and sharpen her culinary voice. Through mentorship, hands-on experience, and her own curiosity, she has developed a culinary identity that is bold, culturally rooted, and unmistakably her own.
Known widely as “The Sauce Queen,” Chef India has become a flavor authority celebrated for her ability to transform everyday meals with chef-driven sauces, drizzles, and finishing touches. Her work has attracted partnerships with respected brands where her culinary creativity and cultural storytelling have been showcased through luxury activations and elevated food experiences.
Today, Chef India continues to expand her culinary universe through luxury brand events, immersive culinary retreats, culinary consulting focusing on menu and recipe development, and creates culinary wellness chef-centered content. Her mission is simple: to inspire, to teach, and to bring people together through food that feels like culture, comfort, and celebration.
About Chef Jaye Smith
Chef Jaye is an accomplished pastry chef, educator, and recipe developer whose passion for desserts is matched only by her passion for sharing her craft with others. Known for her vibrant personality and creative approach, she brings technical expertise, innovation, and inspiration to every class, demonstration, and dessert she creates.
Chef Jaye is graduate of University of West Georgia (Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Marketing) and Johnson & Wales University (Associate in Science in Baking and Pastry Arts). Her professional journey has included roles with renowned hospitality brands such as Walt Disney World, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, and Loews Hotels, experiences that helped shape her refined pastry style and commitment to excellence.
As a pastry chef in a corporate setting, Chef Jaye combines culinary artistry with innovation. She develops recipes, teaches pastry and gelato classes, and creates show-stopping desserts that showcase her company’s products at trade shows and industry events. Whether she’s testing new concepts in the kitchen or educating fellow chefs, she is dedicated to elevating the pastry profession through creativity, collaboration, and continuous learning.
Chef Jaye also showcased her talents as a competitor on Food Network Spring Baking Championship Season 11. Inspired by her Southern roots and Caribbean influence, she enjoys blending bold flavors with classic pastry techniques to create desserts that are both innovative and unforgettable.