Food & Wine Game Changers 2022

When we talk about the hospitality industry, we don't just mean restaurants, we're talking about the food and drink community at large: the farmers who grow the food that ends up on our plates, the sommeliers who introduce you to your new favorite wines, the technology platforms helping independent restaurants thrive in a digital age. We're talking about servers and bartenders, businesses and nonprofits, food writers and food activists. It's a community brimming with innovation, and with people in all sectors who are redefining the culinary field. Food people are dreaming bigger and acting more boldly than ever before.

Each year, we survey the industry to select a group of Food & Wine Game Changers: the people and companies changing the way we eat and drink for the better. For this year's list, we tapped into F&W editors and hospitality experts, as well as our 2021 Food & Wine Game Changers. We heard from trailblazers like baker Bryan Ford, who told us he was excited about Ghetto Gastro, the chef collective "pushing new, Black-owned cookware and baking mixes into the market." Sahra Nguyen, founder of Nguyen Coffee Supply, and Jing Gao, founder of Fly By Jing, both pointed to Sanzo, the first Asian-inspired sparkling water, as an innovator to watch.

This year's 16 Game Changers come from all corners of the hospitality world. Within restaurants themselves, there's a sommelier on the list making dining out more accessible to people with physical disabilities. Within food media, there's a writer whose new media company is telling expansive stories linking culture, food systems, and politics. Some of our Game Changers are newly-minted; others have been doing good work for decades. Yet they're all dedicated to making the world a more inclusive, sustainable, and delicious place. Their goals are grand, their talents are boundless, and their work speaks for itself. Read on to meet the second annual class of Food & Wine Game Changers. — Nina Friend, Features Editor

Chintan Pandya and Roni Mazumdar

With their New York City restaurants, chef Chintan Pandya and restaurateur Roni Mazumdar are changing the way Indian food is seen and experienced in the U.S. Read More.

World Central Kitchen

World Central Kitchen, chef José Andrés' not-for-profit, has made crisis response faster, smarter, and kinder. Read More.

Sanzo

The fruit-forward seltzer brand Sanzo is shaking up the drinks industry with Asian-inspired flavors.
Read More.

OXO

OXO has long been committed to making accessible cookware that's better for everybody. Read More.

Jenny Dorsey

The chef and activist Jenny Dorsey chef challenges the status quo in order to drive social change.
Read More.

Stephen Satterfield

Stephen Satterfield links culture, food systems, and politics through everything from the hit Netflix series High on the Hog to his start-up multimedia company, Whetstone. Read More.

Ghetto Gastro

Ghetto Gastro, a Bronx-based culinary collective, is creating a future for cookware, packaged goods, and community engagement that's more colorful and inclusive than ever before. Read More.

Prime Roots

The mock meat brand Prime Roots uses koji as the base for meatless turkey, ham, and more. Read More.

Dwyane Wade

Former NBA star Dwyane Wade is creating a more welcoming, inclusive, and accessible future for the wine industry. Read More.

Patagonia Provisions

The outdoor clothing company Patagonia is fighting climate change with a food-focused offshoot, Patagonia Provisions. Read More.

BentoBox

The restaurant website platform BentoBox has revolutionized digital hospitality with its personalized website design and simple, industry-friendly tools. Read More.

Momofuku

The restaurant group Momofuku is making pantry essentials that expand the notion of "American" cuisine. Read More.

Alexis Nikole Nelson

Alexis Nikole Nelson, the breakout TikTok talent, is changing the face of modern-day foraging.
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Yannick Benjamin

Yannick Benjamin, the sommelier and restaurateur behind East Harlem restaurant Contento, is making hospitality accessible to everyone. Read More.

No & Low

The booze-free, online-only shop No & Low is making nonalcoholic bottles more accessible and exciting. Read More.