Brad Leone

Before the cameras.

Brad grew up in northern New Jersey, where fishing and hunting with his dad connected food with the outdoors. Food-service work began at his uncle’s deli. After studying at the Institute of Culinary Education, Brad joined Bon Appétit’s test kitchen as an intern in 2013, then became an assistant and eventually kitchen manager.

A fermentation breakout.

The first It’s Alive video arrived on October 21, 2016, following Brad through making kombucha. Fermented foods became a signature, with episodes exploring cultures, pickles, and the experiments behind them. The series made Brad a familiar face of Bon Appétit’s video kitchen.

Taking food outside.

Published in November 2021, Field Notes for Food Adventure follows a year of exploring the Northeast through cooking and nature. The debut cookbook includes more than 80 recipes and became a New York Times bestseller. Brad also co-founded The Roost, bringing food, music, and community together at Stone Acres Farm in Connecticut.