Jacquelyn Buchanan

With a 20+ year career in the world of food and wine, she currently travels the U.S. teaching consumers and trade professionals about the great taste, versatility and nutritional benefits of chèvre.

As Director of Culinary Development for the legendary Laura Chenel’s Chèvre in Sonoma, California, Jacquelyn Buchanan combines her enduring passion for artisanal, local, and sustainably grown foods with her extensive experience as a chef and culinary educator. With a 20 year career in the world of food and wine, she currently travels the U.S. teaching consumers and trade professionals about the great taste, versatility and nutritional benefits of chèvre.

Prior to joining Laura Chenel’s Chèvre, Jacquelyn served as the Julia Child Director of Culinary Programs at COPIA: The American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts in Napa, California. At COPIA, she was responsible for the development and implementation of all food-related programs and activities.

Jacquelyn’s sensibility for artisan cheeses has also been honed through the years as a chef for renowned Northern California establishments such as the Hayes Street Grill in San Francisco, The General’s Daughter in Sonoma, and George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch. During her early chef years she worked with legendary Bay Area chef Judy Rodgers at The Union Hotel, prior to Rodgers’ opening Zuni Café. She remembers discovering Laura Chenel's Chef's Chèvre early in her career and falling love with it, as well as Sonoma County’s bounty of local, seasonal, and artisan foods. She is excited to work with a company that helped to pioneer that movement.

Jacquelyn is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy; Bauman College’s Nutrition Educator Program; and Maryville College in Maryville, Tennessee. She is a member of the American Cheese Society, Women Chefs & Restaurateurs, the International Association of Culinary Professionals, the San Francisco Professional Food Society, the National Association of Nutrition Professionals, and Slow Food, USA. She lives in Petaluma, California.