Press kit.
Everything you need to write about it, in a form you can paste. Bios, facts, photographs, quotes you can use without checking back. If something is missing, email me and it goes out the same day.
South Africa, then Kenya.
Cooking in the Soutpansberg mountains at the moment, then a train hotel on a bridge in Kruger, then two weeks on wine pairing in the Cape, then a full month above the Maasai Mara. The always-current answer to where he is is Instagram.
Three lengths. Copy whichever fits.
These are approved. You do not need to run them past anyone.
Jason McKinney is a French Laundry trained chef cooking around the world before opening Restaurant Elizabeth, a 30-seat chef's counter, in New York in 2027.
Jason McKinney spent five years at Thomas Keller's The French Laundry, working commis to sous chef, then co-founded Truffle Shuffle, which took a Shark Tank deal with Mark Cuban and was later acquired by ButcherBox. He is now cooking his way around the world and filming it, before opening Restaurant Elizabeth, a 30-seat chef's counter, in New York in 2027.
Jason McKinney trained through a four-year apprenticeship at Sea Island before five years at The French Laundry under Thomas Keller, working commis to sous chef and winning the restaurant's Core Award. Keller picked him to support the Bocuse d'Or and sent him to stage at Maison Pic and Frenchie in France. He has also staged at Gaggan in Bangkok and Maido in Lima.
In 2020 he co-founded Truffle Shuffle, a virtual cooking school built during the pandemic. Shark Tank season 12 closed a deal with Mark Cuban, the company reached $13.3 million in annual sales, and ButcherBox acquired it.
He is now cooking his way around the world, kitchen by kitchen, filming it as Where Is Chef Jason, before opening Restaurant Elizabeth in New York in 2027.
The checkable version.
Restaurant Elizabeth.
Thirty seats at a counter, tasting menu only, named after his mother. You sit right there and watch him build every dish. Every course on the opening menu comes from somewhere on this tour.
His words, already said.
Use any of these as-is and attribute to Chef Jason McKinney. No need to ask.
after his stage at Gaggan
august 2026
august 2026
august 2026
september 2026
when he offered to stay home instead of taking the apprenticeship
If you need a way in.
Five stories in here that stand on their own. Take one, or ignore all of them.
Three shows in one guest.
He records remotely, on camera or audio only, and he has done this before. Below is everything you need to decide in about ninety seconds.
Twelve photographs, free for editorial.
Every one is a real photograph taken on the tour. Nothing generated, nothing staged for camera. Credit "Where Is Chef Jason". These are web resolution, longest edge 1600 to 2400 pixels. Need print files or a different crop? Email and they go out the same day. There are no photographs from South Africa yet because he is there now.
Footage you can embed.
Where he has already run.
Forbes, TechCrunch, Eater, Tasting Table, Robb Report India, Deccan Chronicle, Sonoma Magazine, Haute Living. Television: Shark Tank on ABC and The Kelly Clarkson Show on NBC. Full archive with links on the press page.
Ask me directly.
No agency, no publicist, no forms. Interviews, a specific photograph, a fact you want to check, or a seat at a dinner while he is in your city. Email is fastest. He is usually in a kitchen, so give him a day.