John Besh

John Besh (born May 14, 1968) is an American chef, TV personality, philanthropist, restaurateur and author. He is known for his efforts in preserving the culinary heritage of New Orleans cuisine.

Background Besh was born in Meridian, Mississippi, and raised in Slidell. He has been married to Jenifer Berrigan Besh since 1991; together they have four children. The family are practicing Catholics and parishioners of St. Luke the Evangelist Church in Slidell, Louisiana. In 1992, he graduated from The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), but his schooling was cut short owing to his serving in the Gulf War.

John Besh was a co-owner with Octavio Mantilla of Besh Restaurant Group (BRG), the group formed after they bought out the original investors of the acclaimed restaurant August.

Besh addressed the accusations in a statement: "Two years ago, I deeply hurt those I love by thoughtlessly engaging in a consensual relationship with one member of my team. Since then I have been seeking to rebuild my marriage and come to terms with my reckless actions given the profound love I have for my wife, my boys and my Catholic faith." Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain tweeted an image of the complaint filed against Besh's group, calling it "the beginning of the end of institutionalized Meathead Culture in the restaurant business".

Two days after the allegations were made public, Besh stepped down from BRG. BRG executive Shannon White replaced Besh as CEO of the restaurant group. BRG was renamed BRG Hospitality after Besh's departure.

Aftermath

In October 2017, in response to the allegations of sexual misconduct, Besh stepped down from the executive advisory board for the Center for Ethics and Culture at the University of Notre Dame.

Lindsey Reynolds, the former Besh Restaurant Group staff member who helped expose the company's culture of sexual harassment, is one of the people Time magazine named among the national #MeToo movement as 2017's Time Person of the Year.

Restaurants Many of his restaurants have celebrated Louisiana regional cooking, including Restaurant August, Besh Steakhouse, Lüke, La Provence, Domenica, Pizza Domenica, Johnny Sánchez, Shaya and Borgne. August – New Orleans' Central Business District – his flagship restaurant, featuring contemporary French cuisine with an emphasis on local ingredients. Featured in Gourmet magazine's "Guide to America's Best Restaurants" and "America's Top 50 Restaurants".

The following restaurants associated with Besh are now closed or no longer feature Besh: Artesia – was located in Abita Springs, Louisiana. La Provence – Lacombe, Louisiana – French, Besh sold the restaurant in May 2017; the restaurant closed in 2018. Lüke – San Antonio location (closed in 2017) Johnny Sánchez Baltimore – Mexican-Inspired fare, co-owned with Aarón Sánchez, closed in 2017. Johnny Sánchez – located in New Orleans, Mexican-Inspired fare opened in October 2014, this was co-owned with Aarón Sánchez. But as of February 2019 Besh is no longer involved with this restaurant, he was replaced by long time employees Miles Landrem, and Drew Mire.

Television appearances