Kelsey Barnard Clark

Kelsey Barnard Clark (born April 28, 1989 ) is an American chef. In 2019, she won season 16 of Top Chef.

Early life and education Clark was raised in Dothan, Alabama. She attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, and worked at Cafe Boulud and Dovetail.

Career In 2012, she started a catering business in Dothan, and then a restaurant, KBC. In 2019, she won season 16 of Top Chef, as of 2024 the only southerner to win the show. She was one of the judges in the 2025 TV series "Next Gen Chef".

Legal Issues In January 2026, Clark was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after allegedly driving her vehicle into and demolishing a brick mailbox; she reportedly struggled and refused to complete field sobriety tests while at the scene. Her two children, ages 8 and 5, were present at the crash and were driven home by a family member upon Clark's booking at Dothan City Jail.

Cookbooks She has published two cookbooks, Southern Grit (2021) and Southern Get Togethers (2024).