Chef Brandon Walker is a lecturing instructor of Culinary Arts at CIA in Hyde Park, NY, where he brings nearly two decades of culinary leadership and entrepreneurship to the classroom. Among the classes he teaches is Culinary Fundamentals, an introduction to basic cooking theories and techniques of basic protein, starch, and vegetable cookery.
Since earning his associate and bachelor’s degrees in Culinary Arts Management from CIA, Walker has become a prominent figure in the Hudson Valley dining scene and an advocate for local sourcing. Before joining CIA’s faculty in 2025, he was the executive chef and owner of Essie’s Restaurant in Poughkeepsie, NY, an elegant yet casual American restaurant inspired by his Caribbean and Southern heritage. He also founded B&L Hospitality, a consulting and catering company that provides private events, culinary coaching, and strategic guidance to foodservice operations across Hudson Valley.
Before launching his own ventures, Walker served as executive chef at Nic L Inn Wine Cellar on the Hudson in Poughkeepsie, where he developed a refined approach to modern American cuisine and sustainable sourcing. He also served as sous chef at Haymount House in Briarcliff Manor, NY; Panzur Restaurant in Tivoli, NY; Lyon Restaurant, and BLT Prime in New York City.
He is the recipient of numerous awards, including Best of the Hudson Valley in 2025, 2024, 2023, and 2022, and the Black Achievers Award from the Bullah Baptist Church (2022). In addition, he is a 2022 graduate of the Dutchess County Regional Chamber Executive Leadership Program. His television appearances include competing on the Food Network’s Chopped in 2020 and Rewrapped in 2014, when he won on the Episode “Ritzy Business.”
Walker is active in the Hudson Valley community, serving on the boards of Dutchess County Workforce Investment Board, Dutchess Outreach, and Destination Dutchess, where he was the former board chairman. While he is a proud Brooklyn native, Walker enjoys food and beverage excursions, spending time with family and friends, jazz and neo soul music, movies, museums, historical sites, and art in the Hudson Valley.