Justin Ward is a Culinary Institute of America graduate and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Food and Beverage Management. He is a Certified Executive Chef as well as a Certified Hospitality Educator with over 30 years of combined experience in both the hospitality and education industry. Chef Ward has garnered national acclaim for his restaurant Harvest, which he opened in Atlanta, Ga. in 1995. He has also won multiple gold, silver and bronze medals in both local and national American Culinary Federation sanctioned competitions. He has also garnered first place in several national cooking competitions including the Sutter Home Build a Better Burger, Ocean Spray Ultimate Cranberry Contest and the Prosciutto di Parma Create It Contest. He is currently an Assistant Professor at The Culinary Institute of America in San Antonio, Tx.

Classically trained in Chicago, Chef Ben believes that the core of a great restaurant relies on its relationship with local farmers, purveyors and artisans. Developing relationships across the State of Texas forms a bond that allows Tributary to highlight the best of Texas’ bounty of products. Pairing these products with classic and modern techniques is at the core of Chef Ben’s culinary philosophy.

Chef PJ Edwards’ childhood was spent living all over the South before his family moved to La Vernia, TX - a place he still considers home. Edwards’ love for food started at an early age helping his mom and grandmother cook on holidays, while spending his weekends at national barbecue competitions with his dad. Edwards is excited to be back home to share his love of food and passion with San Antonio again. Meadow Neighborhood Eatery opened in September 2018 and focuses on Seasonal Texas Southern.

As an award-winning life & style influencer, Christina shares her love of fashion, San Antonio life, and being a single, full-time mom of 4 minis, across her digital world. Find and follow her on Instagram @Christina_Coker.

Marvin joined the KENS 5 Eyewitness News team as a reporter for "Eyewitness News This Morning" in December 2004. Since then, Marvin has garnered numerous nominations and awards from the Texas Associated Press and the Lone Star Emmys.

Marvin currently hosts a special segment called 'Neighborhood Eats,' a fun segment which chronicles his culinary adventures throughout the Alamo city.

Clarke joined the Great Day team in January 2020 after spending 2 years as a journalist in West Texas. She began her career as a reporter for the ABC and Fox Duopoly, Big 2 News/FOX24. After 10 months of reporting, she was promoted to full-time Morning Anchor for both KMID and KPEJ. 

Outside of work, Clarke is a die-hard foodie who loves finding trendy restaurant spots. She also loves a good true crime podcast and finds time to listen to her favorites in between bites.

On the weekend you can catch her salsa dancing in a studio or at a local dance club. She stays active by spin cycling and playing with her pit-bull mix, Chance. She also makes time to volunteer at local organizations.

Owais Durrani is the co-founder of the popular Texas based IG page @TexasTasty and associated blog. We live at the intersection of food, music, culture, and everything in between. What started as a fun project at The University of Texas (Hook ‘em) has turned into a passion and way of life for us!

Lea Thompson is the Food Editor at the San Antonio Current, where she focuses on the intersection between food and culture, business, urban planning and human rights. She also has an Oprah-level obsession with bread.

Jimmy Mauric is the Brewmaster at Shiner Beer. You might say that Jimmy Mauric was born to make Shiner beer. Jimmy started working at the brewery at age 17 (we still don’t know what took him so long). He graduated from the prestigious Siebel Institute of Technology and became our sixth brewmaster in 2005. Stop by the brewery for a chance to see the master at work — probably in the middle of some important “product testing.”

Jordan Beeman is President of HeartBrand Beef. A fifth-generation cattle rancher, Jordan manages every aspect of the daily operations of the company, including ranching, genetics, and meat production and sales. Under Jordan’s leadership, the company has grown to one of the nation’s largest family-owned branded beef companies, and is the largest producer of rare Japanese Akaushi cattle in the world.

Jordan is also the President of the American Akaushi Association and sits on the board of Bovina Feeders and JetPro Texas. He is a member of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the North American Meat Institute and Young Presidents Organization.

David Elder is the host of the San Antonio food show, Texas Eats. The social media segment, Elder Eats, dominated in Central and South Texas in 2017, 2018, and 2019, with more than 18 videos receiving more than 1 million views each! The whole first season of Elder Eats is available to watch on the KSAT TV app on your Roku streaming device.

David’s passion for food started at a young age, learning cooking techniques and recipes from his mother. His first job in high school was at a popular Texas BBQ chain. The bustling pace and energy of the kitchen inspired David to work in an upscale, award-winning Hill Country Bistro and vineyard. He started as a cold-side cook, preparing salads and appetizers, moved to sauté chef, and was promoted to head grill chef at the age of 19. The kitchen experience David gained ingrained essential cooking fundamentals and a working knowledge of American cuisine. David worked both back of house and front of house positions in restaurants across Central Texas, learning how to serve guests and create unforgettable dining experiences.

David Elder is also an award-winning graphic designer and web designer working for top companies and nonprofits in the San Antonio area. David went to high school in New Braunfels, Texas. He moved to San Antonio to attend the San Antonio College for Web Design & Graphic Design and the University of Texas in San Antonio for Marketing. David started working for KSAT 12 in the summer of 2015 as a Graphics Coordinator and is now a Multimedia Journalist for SA Live, host of Elder Eats and host of Texas Eats.