Andrew Zimmern

Andrew Zimmern is an Emmy-winning and four-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, writer and social justice advocate. As the creator, executive producer and host of the "Bizarre Foods" franchise, "Andrew Zimmern’s Driven by Food," MSNBC’s "What’s Eating America," Magnolia Network’s Emmy-nominated "Family Dinner," and the Emmy-winning "The Zimmern List," he has devoted his life to exploring and promoting cultural acceptance, tolerance and understanding through food. You can also find him judging "Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend" on Netflix, "The Silos Baking Competition" on HBO Max, and teaching live fire cooking on Outdoor Channel’s "Andrew Zimmern’s Wild Game Kitchen."

Zimmern’s first book, "The Bizarre Truth," offered a behind-the-scenes look at cultures in his favorite destinations. "Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre World of Food: Brains, Bugs and Blood Sausage" gives younger fans a backstage look at his culinary adventures. A book for young adults, "Andrew Zimmern’s Field Guide to Exceptionally Weird, Wild, Wonderful Foods" is a pop culture-influenced look at fantastic and bizarre ingredients. His latest offering, a grade level reader series called "Alliance of World Explorers, Volume 1: AZ and the Lost City of Ophir" was released in February 2019 and won the Gold IPPY in Juvenile Fiction.

Zimmern hosted the three-part 2019 Conversations at Copia in partnership with the Culinary Institute of America to publicize, educate and amplify the hard conversations around social justice and food. He is an entrepreneur-in-residence at The Lewis Institute for Social Innovation at Babson College. In 2022, he was a contributor to the White House Strategic Policy for Hunger, Nutrition and Health and a contributor to the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health. Through the James Beard Foundation and the Culinary Institute of America he funds Andrew Zimmern’s Second Chances Scholarships, which offer students faced with extreme challenges an opportunity to follow a culinary path.

Zimmern sits on the board of directors of Services for the UnderServed, EXPLR Media, Soigne Hospitality and Beans is How. He is on the advisory board of the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project, serves on City Harvest’s Food Council, is the International Rescue Committee’s Voice for Nutrition and was named a Global Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations World Food Programme, as well as The Nature Conservancy. Zimmern is a founding member of the Coalition for Sustainable Aquaculture and the Independent Restaurant Coalition, fighting to save restaurants affected by Covid-19. Other charities Zimmern works with include Lovin’ Spoonfuls, ONE, Food Policy Action Committee, No Kid Hungry and Giving Kitchen. In his rare downtime, Zimmern relaxes in Minneapolis, spending time with family and his dogs Luca and Clemmie the Lagottos.