Guest Instructor

It should be of no surprise that David Leathers became a chef. His love of food was passed down from his family and some of his best memories growing up take place in the kitchen. His parents own a successful Barbecue restaurant in his hometown Fulton, Mississippi. Always giving his father a helping hand in the family business his culinary aspirations began early in life. At age 18 David attended culinary school at Pennsylvania Culinary where he graduated valedictorian of his class.

His passion for food and art sparked his interest in fruit and vegetable carving taking him to The Andy Mannhart Academy in Luzern, Switzerland. Since then David has made strides in the art of fruit and vegetable carving making an abundance of television appearances and releasing three instructional DVDs on the subject. In 2003 David began his own company Food Stylin where he produces unique merchandise such as T-shirts and his own line of knives.

His signature phrase “ I play with my food “ Certainly captures a lot of his essence. David has an infectious enjoyment for food. Children and adults are always entertained watching David cook. Whether he’s making squash into monkeys or wowing people with new tastes for their palette he is sure to captivate and always refreshingly original.

David has the ability to simplify many of his recipes so that even the beginner will be able to master them. His outgoing personality and passion for cooking and carving have made him an excellent television personality showcasing his recipes on many networks nationwide. His Mississippi heritage shows in his recipes that bring subtle elegance to southern staples.


Outside of the kitchen David is well known for his contributions to local charitable events that bring his community together. David is hoping to make strides in the fight against child obesity. He makes several appearances at elementary schools nationwide showing an emphasis on healthy alternatives to junk food and teaching kids hands on culinary skills they can learn at almost any age.

At only 30 years old David has already begun to put his mark in the culinary world. David proudly resides with his family in Mississippi and is hard at work on the production of his kid’s cooking show to air nationwide on PBS.