OUR CAUSe
Le Bon Appétit supports the mission of Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital by raising funds to advance pediatric care, research and programs that improve the lives of children and families.
Cooking For A Cause
Chef Kelly English
Nationally-renowned chef Kelly English has certainly earned his reputation as one of the Mid-South’s most recognizable culinary leaders. English worked in local restaurant kitchens as a student at the University of Mississippi, and later pursued his passion for cooking at the Culinary Institute of America. After graduating at the top of his class in 2004, he continued his culinary career in New Orleans. He fell in love with nearby Memphis and went on to open his own James Beard Award Semifinalist restaurant, Restaurant Iris, in 2009. Since then, he has been featured in numerous publications, including Food & Wine magazine, Everyday with Rachel Ray, Bon Appétit, Garden & Gun and more. He currently owns and operates three restaurants in the city of Memphis and a fourth at Harrah’s Gulf Coast in Biloxi, Miss.
At the age of six, English spent two months in an adult hospital in his hometown recovering from a life-threatening fall; it was his memory of daunting, sterile facilities that began his dream of supporting the work of a family-friendly hospital, like Le Bonheur Children’s, that is dedicated to kids.
Chef Kelly English is not only the face of Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital’s Le Bon Appétit event, but he is also one of its founders. Over the course of its four iterations, Le Bon Appétit has raised more than $1 million for specialized medical equipment, child-specific programming and technology for the Mid-South’s first and only comprehensive hospital dedicated to kids. To Kelly English, this event is more than just a way to give back to his community; it was also born from a childhood experience of his own.
To quote English
“We all have talents, we all have skills, and that’s what we can use to give back. I get to cook for a living, so I’m going to cook for Le Bonheur for as long as they’ll let me.”
Facts about Le Bon Appétit
No. 1
Le Bon Appétit has raised more than $1 million for specialized medical equipment, child-specific programming and technology for Le Bonheur Children’s.
No. 2
Le Bon Appétit 2026 will feature more than 19 chefs from Memphis, more than nine chefs from across the country and four mixologists.
No. 3
Le Bon Appetit 2026 will be the seventh culinary showcase.
No. 4
The event is held bi-annually – held in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2022, 2024 and 2026.
No. 5
The 2020 event was a virtual Le Bon Appétit @ Home, which consisted of 11 virtual cooking classes featuring chefs from Memphis and across the country.
About Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital is a beacon of hope and healing for families, providing world-class pediatric care regardless of a family’s ability to pay. Every day, our dedicated team of doctors, nurses and specialists work tirelessly to ensure that every child receives compassionate, cutting-edge treatment in a warm and supportive environment.
By supporting Le Bonheur through Le Bon Appétit, you’re helping fund life-saving research, family-centered programs and critical medical services that make a lasting difference in the lives of children. Together, we’re nourishing bodies and uplifting hearts.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
