Anne Burrell

What Was Anne Burrell's Childhood Like?

Burrell was born on September 21, 1969, in Cazenovia, New York. She attended Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in English and Communications in 1991. A year later, she enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America and graduated in 1996 with an Associate in Occupational Studies (A.O.S.) degree. Additionally, Burrell studied at the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners (ICIF) in Asti, Piedmont region, Italy.

What's Next for This Celebrity Chef?

What Makes Anne Burrell's Restaurants a Cut Above the Rest?

After her ICIF experience, Burrell remained in Italy for nine months, working in various restaurants. She then returned to the US as a sous chef at Felidia, owned by celebrity chef Lidia Bastianich. She later became the chef at Savoy, a small prix fixe dining room. After Savoy, Burrell began teaching at the Institute of Culinary Education. Lidia Bastianich's son and restaurateur Joe Bastianich, along with Chef Mario Batali, named Burrell the chef for Italian Wine Merchants, their New York wine store. She later became the executive chef of Centro Vinoteca, an Italian restaurant in New York City's West Village area, which opened in 2007. She left the restaurant in September 2008 due to her busy schedule and many commitments. The departure also meant that she would not start at Gusto Ristorante, as both restaurants are part of Mangia Hospitality Group. Burrell planned to open her first restaurant in 2010 in New York City. Burrell opened her restaurant, Phil & Anne's Good Time Lounge, in Brooklyn in spring 2017, though the restaurant closed by April 2018.

Is She Still Cooking Up a Storm on TV?

In 2005, Iron Chef Mario Batali asked Burrell to serve as one of his sous chefs, along with chef and restaurateur Mark Ladner, for a pilot taping of Food Network's Iron Chef America series. She continued to serve as his sous chef during his tenure with the show. Burrell's Food Network series Secrets of a Restaurant Chef debuted June 29, 2008. In 2009, she appeared on another Food Network show, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, in which chefs recount their favorite dishes. In 2010, Burrell and Chef Beau MacMillan hosted Worst Cooks in America, a Food Network reality TV series. Burrell and her co-host lead contestants through a "culinary boot camp" on their journey to become better cooks. The first season premiered on January 3, 2010. Chef Burrell won the challenge when her recruit, Rachel Coleman, edged out MacMillan's recruit, Jenny Cross. The second season premiered on January 2, 2011, with Chef MacMillan being replaced by Chef Robert Irvine. To raise the stakes, Irvine and Burrell made a side bet, in which Burrell risked losing her signature hair and Irvine risked going platinum. Chef Burrell won both the competition and the side-bet, when her recruit, Joshie Berger, edged out Irvine's recruit, Georg Coleman. Also in 2011, Burrell became the fourth runner up in the culinary competition The Next Iron Chef on the Food Network, being eliminated in week six of the competition. The third season of Worst Cooks in America premiered on February 12, 2012. Chef Bobby Flay was the new co-host/chef for season three. Chef Burrell again won the competition, when her recruit Kelli Powers edged out Flay's recruit, Vinnie Caligiuri. Season four started on February 17, 2013. Season four concluded with Flay's team finally defeating Burrell's team, when his recruit, Alina Bolshakova, edged out Burrell's recruit, Rasheeda Brown. She was also a contestant on the first season of Chopped All-Stars tournament, winning the "Food Network Personalities" preliminary round to advance to the final round, where she placed second runner up to Nate Appleman (winner) and Aarón Sanchez. In 2015, Burrell won the fourth installment of the Chopped All-Stars tournament, winning $75,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

What Else Has Anne Burrell Been Up To?

In 2009, Burrell appeared with fellow Food Network personality Guy Fieri on the Guy Fieri Roadshow. Additionally, she participated in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade that year alongside Sunny Anderson and Claire Robinson on the Food Network float. Later, in late 2011, Burrell hosted an 11-day Food Network cruise aboard the Celebrity Silhouette, exploring the Mediterranean and Atlantic. From June 2012 to October 2013, Burrell co-hosted Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell on the Food Network for three seasons and 36 episodes. The show was a popular addition to the network's programming during its run. Burrell collaborated with Suzanne Lenzer on two cookbooks: Cook Like a Rock Star (2011) and Own Your Kitchen: Recipes to Inspire and Empower (2013). Both publications achieved New York Times bestseller status, solidifying the authors' reputation as culinary authorities.

What's Next for Anne Burrell: A Look at Her Personal Life and Legacy Beyond the Kitchen?

Burrell released a statement in 2012 confirming that she had been in a relationship with her girlfriend, chef Koren Grieveson, for two years after cookbook author Ted Allen seemingly outed her on a radio show. She disputed the notion she had been outed, saying she had not kept her sexuality a secret. On December 31, 2012, Burrell tweeted that she was engaged to Grieveson, but the two would later break up. In 2018, she met Stuart Claxton through the dating app Bumble. On April 21, 2020, Burrell announced that she and Claxton were engaged. The two married on October 16, 2021. Burrell died at her home in Brooklyn, New York City, on June 17, 2025, at age 55. She was found unconscious and unresponsive at approximately 7:50 a.m., and emergency responders pronounced her dead at the scene. Authorities say the New York City Fire Department received a 911 call that suggested she had gone into cardiac arrest, but an official cause of death could not be confirmed before an autopsy with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.