I was eight years young when Granny Ashton taught me to bake bread in her kitchen in Liverpool. She taught me something even more important too: the gift of giving, and of caring for your neighbors and your community. By sixteen, I knew cooking would be my life.

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After graduating from the culinary program at St. Helens College, with its French-inspired training, I set off to see how the rest of the world cooks. For 13 years I traveled the world with Crystal Cruises, learning in professional and home kitchens alike, because my goal was to discover the world’s authentic cuisines. Everywhere I went, I found the same thing: people show love with food. That road eventually brought me to America.

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For ten years, I was Parade magazine’s chef, and over 18 million readers across America read my stories and cooked my recipes. I’ve cooked on the TODAY show many times, on Food Network and The Tonight Show, and I’ve written two cookbooks with Relish magazine.

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When Disney Cruise Line invited me to create a burger for their ships, this lad from Liverpool had to pinch himself. Today my Jolly Good Burger is served on every Wish-class ship, and I’m proud and grateful every time I think of a family enjoying it at sea. On board, I host Anyone Can Cook, a live show that shares recipes and plants seeds of positivity and kindness along the way.

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And I’ll let you in on a secret: nothing thrills me more than when things go wrong on live TV or on stage. The greatest laughs always come from the moments nobody could have imagined.

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Here’s what I believe. The farmers and fishermen are the real heroes. From our local oyster farmers to my good friend Matthew at North Tabor Farm, they do the hard work, and chefs like me get the fun part: getting creative with what they grow and harvest. I cook with positivity, I love to laugh, and I celebrate today’s ingredients. I’d always rather pick someone up than put them down, in the kitchen and out of it.

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Through Jon Ashton Productions, I tell stories for some of America’s most respected brands, because great storytelling isn’t just about food. Our clients include Conair, BaBylissPRO, Quaker/Tropicana, Eggland’s Best, Brown-Forman, Cuisinart and Waring, as well as Disney, Four Seasons, Condé Nast, the NFL and NASCAR. I love producing video, and I truly enjoy being behind the scenes, bringing a brand’s story to life in a way people really feel.

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Home is Martha’s Vineyard, where I’m a husband, a proud dad to Victoria Mei and Labradoodle Daddy to Eleanor Rigby.

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“Not only does Jon teach us how to cook, but he also feeds our souls with laughter and joy, and that’s what the world needs more of.” — Al Roker

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It’s true that life is short, but it’s also the longest thing you’ll ever do. So be kind, laugh daily, and spread joy wherever the journey takes you.

 

If you’d like to cook, create or tell a story together, I’d love to hear from you.