Robby Melvin Robby Melvin is the test kitchen director at Southern Living magazine and senior recipe developer/tester for Time, Inc. Food Studios in Birmingham, Alabama. A professional chef, he can be seen demonstrating his culinary know-how on Southern Living’s YouTube cooking videos. Melvin has been responsible for developing and testing recipes at the iconic Southern publication for nearly a decade. Experience Born and raised in Alabama, Robby Melvin counts his grandmother, who appeared alongside him in Southern Living’s video about kitchen traditions, as an important early culinary influence. Other mentors include James Beard Award-winning Southern chefs Frank Stitt and Chris Hastings. Melvin honed his craft working under Stitt at his Highlands Bar and Grill, Bottega, and Chez Fon Fon, where he served as sous chef and chef de cuisine. He served as chef de cuisine for Hastings at Hot and Hot Fish Club. Since joining Southern Living, Melvin has been the face of the legacy brand’s test kitchen. In addition to Southern Living and Food & Wine, his work has been featured in Cooking Light, Coastal Living, Extra Crispy, EatingWell, Real Simple, and others. Education Robby Melvin is a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. About Food & Wine Food & Wine, a Dotdash Meredith Brand, is an award-winning online resource for anyone passionate about the culinary world. With rigorously tested recipes and the most trusted restaurant, drinks, culinary travel and home coverage, we inspire and empower people everywhere to discover, create, and devour the best in food and wine. Learn more about us and our editorial process.