Chef and Personal Caterer | Charleston, SC

Benjamin “BJ” Dennis IV is a chef and personal caterer, and a Lowcountry original. Born and raised in Charleston, SC, Chef BJ infuses the flavors and culture of the Lowcountry into his Gullah Geechee cuisine, bringing a new taste to the ever-expanding culinary palate of the south. What differentiates Chef BJ’s food from his contemporaries in “southern” cooking is the homage he pays to the Gullah Geechee culture, brought to the Americas by West Africans, and disseminated along the West Indies and the American South. Dennis infuses the techniques of his ancestors, learned from four years of study in St. Thomas, as well as the lessons of his grandparents about eating from the land, to create fresh interpretations of local dishes focusing on in-season, locally sourced vegetables and seafood. Chef BJ has an associate degree in hospitality / tourism management and the culinary arts from the Culinary Institute of Charleston and has worked in a number of award-winning southern dining establishments including Carolinas, Anson’s, Oak Steakhouse, Hank’s Seafood, and 82 Queen. His cuisine has been featured in local, national, and international events including the BB&T Wine + Food Festival, Cook It Raw, Meatopia, and The Food Film Festival. His pop-up dinners at local establishments such as Butcher & Bee, Elliottborough MiniBar, Republic Reign, Le Creuset, Roadside Seafood, and Proof, are sought after culinary adventures on the underground dinner circuit. His pop up at Labo Culinaire Foodlab in Montreal, Quebec in May 2015 took the Gullah food and culture to an international arena. Also, a chef participant at the Terrior food symposium in Toronto May 2015, Canada's biggest food conference. Recent appearances on the PBS series Moveable Feast, Bravo's Top Chef, Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi, and High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America, on Netflix, have taken him and Gullah Cuisine to a national television audience. When you taste BJ’s cooking, you can’t help but re-think your idea of soul food. @chefbjdennis