Ashley Schuering

Ashley Schuering is a freelance food writer who has written over 2,000 blog posts about food from cuisines that span the entire globe. She is an avid home cook who loves to eat, drink, and entertain loved ones. She spent over 20 years in the restaurant business, with over 5 years working as a line cook and pastry cook in professional kitchens. She recently jumped on the sourdough bandwagon and is enthralled by her starter, Breadna Lewis.

Experience

A self-professed food nerd, Ashley grew up cooking alongside her Martha Stewart-esque mom, hosting her first three-course dinner party as a 10-year-old.

With food always at the front of her mind, she got her first restaurant job at 15. She has spent over two decades in the restaurant business working every station from host and back-waiter to server, manager, line cook, and pastry cook.

After graduating with an MBA in 2015, Ashley created an online farmers market called The Local Collaborative to mitigate the incidence of food deserts and help farmers distribute their products to a broader audience.

While she shuttered TLC's doors in 2018 because she couldn't get the USDA to allow her to accept SNAP payments — thus prohibiting her from offering farm-fresh food to the 1 in 7 Nashvillians who rely on the benefits to pay for their groceries — she has remained a dedicated food justice activist.

Her blog, Confessions of a Grocery Addict, is designed around her opinion that everyone should have access to nutritious and delicious meals, no matter what kind of budget they're on or how much time they have. Her recipes are quick to pull off, don't require a ton of kitchen skills, and stay within (or under!) the USDA's low-cost food plan budget of about $9 per adult per day.

Education

Ashley Schuering received her Bachelor's in Arts from the University of Chicago in 2007. She double majored in International Studies and Political Science. After six years in the workforce, she returned to school, earning her Master's in Business specifically focused on Strategy, Operations, and Entrepreneurship from Vanderbilt's Owen Graduate School of Management in 2015.

Honors and Awards

2-time winner of Owen School of Management's Iron Chef competition.

Professional Memberships

Proud member of the Tastemaker and Food Blogger Pro communities.

Favorite Kitchen Tool

After taking up sourdough bread baking, I've fallen head over heels for my Danish dough whisk. It makes mixing the dough by hand so easy!! I also splurged over the summer and bought myself a compressor-style ice cream maker, and not having to dedicate freezer space to an ice cream drum has been life-changing. We always have homemade ice cream in the freezer nowadays because I can make a batch at the drop of a hat.