Blair Machado is the owner of Hamfish BBQ, a specialty pork and seafood BBQ company. He is a classically-trained Chef and butcher specializing in curated culinary experiences. As a nomadic Chef, he moves throughout the nation creating catered events and collaborating with other culinary professionals. With a hyper-focus on seasonal ingredients, Blair curates his dishes from the harvests of local farmers and fishermen wherever he is cooking. Known for his whole animal butchery program, he is passionate about open-fire cooking and prepares meals with intention and appreciation for everything on the plate.

In Blair’s formative years, he was exposed to the basics of cooking at his grandmother’s side. He started his career at a very young age in fine dining kitchens, immersing himself in the rich food scene in Northern Virginia and Richmond, before moving to Charleston, SC in 2011. He has worked in some of the region’s foremost kitchens from 2941 Restaurant and Can-Can Brasserie in Virginia to FIG, Indaco, and Park Cafe in Charleston. When the world stopped in 2020, Blair retreated to the land and worked in a vital role as a farmer at Comfort Farms in Milledgeville, GA.