Walland, Tenn. — Joseph Lenn, executive chef of The Barn at Blackberry Farm is the 2013 James Beard Award winner for Best Chef Southeast. Chef Lenn is the first chef from Tennessee to win this distinction. He began his career at Blackberry Farm as an intern, and has been at the helm of TheBarn since 2009. 
 
“I am humbled and honored to have received a James Beard Award from the James Beard Foundation,” said Joseph Lenn.  “I am so proud of my Blackberry Farm team and would not be the chef I am today without each and every one of them.”
 
A native of Tennessee, Chef Lenn is a graduate of Johnston and Wales in Charleston, SC, and originally developed an interest in cooking while working in the butcher shop of a local grocery store near where he grew up. Prior to Blackberry Farm, Lenn worked at the Peninsula Grill, and also assisted in the opening of the Hermitage Hotel in Nashville with Chef Sean Brock. This was the second James Beard nomination for Chef Joseph Lenn. 
 
“We are so proud of Joseph and our culinary team at The Barn,” said Proprietor Sam Beall. “This award represents such a consistent effort over so many years and is very gratifying to see the foothills of Tennessee being recognized alongside the more established culinary destinations. Joseph has a culinary voice that is distinctly southern, and even more so Appalachian. To be named the first “James Beard Award Best Chef in Southeast” in Tennessee is just extra special for Joseph and Blackberry Farm!”
 
Blackberry Farm was also nominated for the 8th time for its wine program.
 
Located 25 miles from Knoxville, Blackberry Farm is the perfect destination for business retreats and pleasure getaways. The 4,200-acre estate is celebrated as an unrivaled food and wine destination, providing the ultimate in farm-to-table cuisine and a wine collection of more than 160,000 bottles from around the world. Described as “foothills cuisine,” Blackberry Farm pays homage to locally sourced and seasonally fresh products grown on the property’s four-acre garden. Activities abound at Blackberry Farm, and include Day in the life of Chef and Gardener programs, fly fishing, horseback riding, fox hunting, hiking, sporting clays, yoga, cycling, and more.
 
For more information on Blackberry Farm or to make a reservation, please visit: www.blackberyfarm.com  
 
About Blackberry Farm 
Blackberry Farm – often described as “Easy to get to. Hard to leave.” is located in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. This 58-room Relais and Chateaux property offers some of the world’s finest wines, cuisine, fly fishing, horseback riding, hiking, sporting clays, and cycling. In addition to an abundance of outdoor activities, Blackberry Farm offers an Aveda-Destination Spa and a series of annual culinary, enrichment and adventure events. For reservations and information, please call 800.993.7824 or visitwww.blackberryfarm.com. 
 
About James Beard Awards
Covering all aspects of the industry—from chefs and restaurateurs to cookbook authors and food journalists to restaurant designers and architects and more—the James Beard Awards are the highest honor for food and beverage professionals working in North America. The awards are presented each spring at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center. Nominees and winners are fêted at a weekend of events in New York City that has become the social and gastronomic highlight of the year.