Josh Baldwin & Chef Paul Smith launch new food magazine, ‘Taste’
By Stephen Baldwin, RealWV
Two leaders are joining forces to highlight the the state culinary scene. Chef Paul Smith and Josh Baldwin have launched “Taste,” an online food and culture magazine focused on West Virginia.
“I’m thrilled to partner with Josh on this project,” said Chef Paul Smith. “We have such a
rich history and a culinary heritage that deserves to be celebrated on a national scale. Taste
will not only highlight the incredible food coming out of our region but also the stories
behind the people and places that make it all possible.”
Josh Baldwin has been at the forefront of storytelling in Appalachia via his company Havenbrook Media, and is equally excited about the collaboration. “Working with Chef Paul Smith is a dream come true. His passion for our foodways and his dedication to his craft are inspiring. Together, we aim to create a platform that honors the past while embracing the future of Appalachian food and culture.”
“Taste” will begin as a digital publication. Baldwin hopes to see it eventually grow into a multimedia venture. Visit the website at www.tastewv.com. The magazine will feature a wide range of content, including in-depth profiles of local chefs and artisans, farm-to-table journeys, traditional recipes, and more. Initial stories on the website currently highlight places such as Sergio’s, Gustard’s Bistro, & At Hart Kitchen.
“Both Paul and I believe a rising tide lifts all boats, so we are aiming at elevating awareness of the great things happening in towens both large and small,” Baldwin says. “Where food and art or food and music intersect, we hope to be there for those stories as well.”
About Chef Paul Smith:
Paul Smith’s deeply ingrained love of both cooking and West Virginia can be traced back to
his earliest days — standing alongside his grandfather helping stir the sauce for the large
Sunday dinners so common among Italian families who had settled in the coalfields.
From those beginnings, Paul’s passions for food and his Appalachian home have taken him
on a culinary journey that he is proud to share with his community. After graduating from
Charleston Catholic High School, Chef Paul immersed himself in learning the hospitality
industry and the finer points of great cuisine. With his BA from West Virginia State
University, he formally trained at New York’s prestigious Culinary Institute of America
(graduated with honors) and CIA’s Greystone campus in Napa Valley, California, where he
studied pastries and wine and graduated as Valedictorian. Paul has worked around the country, from The Ritz Carlton Resort in Naples, Florida, to the world-renowned Biltmore Estates in Asheville, North Carolina, to The Windsor Club in Vero Beach, Florida. Taking the tastes and techniques of every stop along his culinary journey he longed to return to his roots and tell these culinary stories through the traditions and flavors of Appalachia. When the Mountain State pulled at his heartstrings, he returned to West Virginia where he served as the Executive Chef at the University of Charleston, and Corporate Chef for Buzz Food Service. Today, he has multiple restaurants in Charleston, West Virginia’s capital: The Pitch Sports Bar & Grill, and 1010 Bridge Restaurant & Catering, which quickly gained a reputation as one of the state’s premiere dining destinations. He believes strongly that a rising tide will lift all boats, and has served as an advisor to multiple food and hospitality businesses in West Virginia. Paul’s ultimate vision is to give back to the state he has always considered home through his gifts of great food and warm
hospitality. Chef Paul was named a Semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef of The Southeast Award and became an official nominee the same year and is the first West
Virginia chef to receive that honor. He was also named West Virginian of the year in 2023.
In 2024 he was honored again with a nomination for the James Beard Foundation’s Best
Chef of The Southeast Award and on June 10th 2024 in a ceremony in Chicago he became
West Virginia’s very first James Beard Award winner. He continues to champion West
Virginia and his community in all he does, and loves few things more than the way food
brings people together.
About Josh Baldwin:
Josh Baldwin is a publisher, filmmaker, and musician located in Lewisburg, WV. Born and
raised in Huntington, WV, he attended Marshall University where he received a degree in
English before moving to Europe to live and work for a year. He returned to receive his
master’s degree at UNC-Wilmington before moving to Lewisburg in 2005, where, at 26
years old, he founded the Greenbrier Valley Quarterly, a cultural and lifestyle magazine that
is now in its 19th year of publication. He has been awarded the Young Gun award from WV
Executive and the State Journal’s “40 under 40.” In 2020, he was awarded the Governor’s
Awards for The Arts—Individual Leadership Award. He received a number of other
recognitions locally and was elected to serve two terms on Lewisburg City Council, as well
as being an adjunct English professor for New River Community and Technical College. In
2013 he founded the Lewisburg Literary Festival, where he has brought dozens of renowned
authors and filmmakers to Carnegie Hall for intimate interviews and talks, including David
Sedaris, David Baldacci, and Tobias Wol`. In 2012, he started working on his first film, “The
Contender,” a food competition documentary which he produced and directed and won
Best Feature Documentary at the WV Filmmakers Festival. In 2016-17, Baldwin produced
the short documentary “The Flood,” winner of Best Short Documentary at WV Filmmakers
Fest, and later directed the short “Up on Sandusky Ridge,” written by award-winning
playwright Jonathan Joy. He is also the guitar player and songwriter for the rock bands The
Longshots and Deep State. Currently, Baldwin is the owner of Havenbrook Media, a
creative agency, and Black Lantern Productions, a video production company, as well as
the bar/restaurant Briergarten, all located in Lewisburg, where he lives with his wife, Mary,
and their three children—Stella, Piper, and Milo
