Brittanny Anderson
Chef/Owner, Black Lodge, Brenner Pass, Leni, and Metzger Bar & Butchery | Richmond, VA
March 2022
Coming from a family of crab fishers, Brittanny Anderson always had an appreciation for ingredient seasonality and respect for purveyors. As a teenager, Anderson picked up front of house jobs in her hometown of Richmond, Virginia, but she soon realized that the kitchen was where she belonged. She moved to New York City, attending the French Culinary Institute and picking up an apprenticeship at the acclaimed Blue Hill at Stone Barns. Anderson was able to continue her focus on local and sustainably sourced ingredients as a part of the opening team for Northern Spy Food Co., where she worked her way up to sous chef.
In 2014, Anderson returned to Richmond and partnered with Kjell Anderson, Brad Hemp, and Nathan Conway to open her first restaurant, German-inspired Metzger's Bar & Butchery. She followed Metzger up in 2017 with Brenner Pass, a love letter to the Alpine region, and then in 2020 with industry-friendly cocktail bar, Black Lodge. In 2021, after competing on Bravo’s Top Chef, Anderson expanded her reach to Washington, D.C. with her newest venture, Leni—an all-day cafe located within The Roost food hall.
In addition to being the executive chef and majority partner of her four concepts, she is also the founder of seasonal seafood distribution company, Sharktooth Seafood, and custom cheese courses and boxes, Cave Culture. Through neighborhood-adoring restaurants and a leadership style that values inspiring creativity and creation, Anderson has changed the scope of the Richmond dining scene, promoting the movement of well-respected chefs to the beautiful, historic city and helping to make it into the culinary destination that it is today.
