A Leicester Farm Just Won One of the Biggest Names in American Food

By Jon Tharp, Broker  ·  June 16, 2026

A working farm in Leicester just won one of the biggest awards in American food. Taylor Montgomery of Montgomery Sky Farm won the 2026 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast on June 15, beating out a field of nominees from across the region and bringing the award back to the mountains.

Leicester sits in Buncombe County, about 20 minutes northwest of downtown Asheville along the Leicester Highway corridor, close to both I-26 and I-40. It is a quiet stretch of valleys and family farms, the kind of place most people drive past on the way to somewhere else. That makes the win even more striking. This is not a downtown Asheville hot spot. It is a regenerative farm where the chef grows much of what he cooks.

Montgomery has 32 years in professional kitchens, and two years ago he walked away from traditional restaurant work to build something different with his wife, Fran. The result is a dining program rooted entirely in the farm itself, where menus follow the seasonal harvest and use heirloom ingredients grown on site rather than trucked in.

What makes Montgomery Sky Farm different?

Most award-winning chefs are tied to a restaurant address. Montgomery is tied to a piece of land. The kitchen builds its meals around whatever the farm is producing at the moment, so what lands on the plate changes as the growing season turns.

The farm is more than a dining room, too. It runs a weekend produce market where the public can buy the same ingredients that shape the menu, and it houses Final Run Rescue, a nonprofit animal rescue. It is a small operation doing a lot at once, which is part of what makes the national recognition feel earned.

"I don't think I've ever experienced anything like that. It's surreal," Montgomery said of the win. "It feels good to be able to bring that back home to Western North Carolina and Asheville."

Why does this matter for Western North Carolina?

The James Beard Awards are often called the Oscars of the food world, and this is the fourth one to come home to Western North Carolina. For a region that is still mostly rural and small-town, that is a real statement about how seriously the culinary world now takes these mountains.

It also says something about the kind of food culture that has taken root here. Asheville gets most of the headlines, but the surrounding communities are where a lot of the actual growing happens. Leicester, Madison County, the valleys around Sylva and Waynesville, these are the places supplying the kitchens. A farm in Leicester winning Best Chef: Southeast puts the spotlight on the agricultural backbone of the region, not just the restaurant scene.

For locals, it is a reminder of what is sitting in the next valley over. You do not have to drive into the city and fight for parking to eat at a national-caliber table. Some of the best food in the Southeast comes from a farm a short drive from Asheville.

Is the WNC food and farm scene still growing?

Every sign points to yes. The farm-to-table movement that put Asheville on the map years ago has spread well beyond the city limits, and chefs keep choosing this region for the same reasons everyone else does. The land is good and the growing seasons are generous.

That mix of mountain agriculture and serious culinary talent is a big part of what draws people to Western North Carolina in the first place. A win like this only adds to the pull. Places like Leicester, long overlooked in favor of the bigger names, are getting a fresh look from people who want the rural setting without giving up access to a real food scene.

If a story like this has you picturing what a life closer to the farms and mountains of Western NC might look like, Jon Tharp is always glad to talk it through.

Sources: AOL / Asheville Citizen Times, James Beard Foundation

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the 2026 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast?

Taylor Montgomery of Montgomery Sky Farm in Leicester, North Carolina won the 2026 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast on June 15, 2026. Montgomery has 32 years of kitchen experience and left traditional restaurant work two years before the win to focus on a farm-based dining program he runs with his wife, Fran. The farm sits about 20 minutes northwest of Asheville in Buncombe County. Montgomery called the win surreal and said it felt good to bring the honor back home to Western North Carolina. He is the fourth James Beard Award winner from the region.

Where is Montgomery Sky Farm located?

Montgomery Sky Farm is in Leicester, an unincorporated community in Buncombe County, North Carolina, roughly 20 minutes northwest of downtown Asheville along the Leicester Highway corridor near I-26 and I-40. The property is a working regenerative farm where the kitchen builds its menus around seasonal harvests and heirloom ingredients grown on site. Beyond the dining program, the farm runs a weekend produce market and is home to Final Run Rescue, a nonprofit animal rescue. Leicester is a rural, agricultural pocket of the county known for its open valleys, family farms, and quick access to Asheville without the city pricing or congestion.

What kind of food does Montgomery Sky Farm serve?

Montgomery Sky Farm centers its dining program on seasonal harvests and heirloom ingredients grown on the farm using regenerative practices. Rather than a traditional restaurant with a fixed menu, the kitchen cooks from what the land produces at a given moment, so the experience shifts with the growing season. The approach reflects Chef Taylor Montgomery's decision to step away from conventional restaurants after 32 years and cook directly from the source. The farm also operates a weekend produce market, so visitors can take home some of the same ingredients that shape the menu.

How many James Beard Awards has Western North Carolina won?

Taylor Montgomery's 2026 win marks the fourth James Beard Award for Western North Carolina. The region's food scene, anchored by Asheville and supported by surrounding communities like Leicester, Waynesville, and Sylva, has drawn national attention for years thanks to its farm-to-table culture, mountain agriculture, and growing population of chefs who relocated here for the lifestyle. The James Beard Awards are among the most prestigious honors in American food, often described as the industry's version of the Oscars, which makes four wins a notable milestone for a mostly rural mountain region.