Meet Susanne Dillingham —

The Tiny Chef

This isn’t just about food.

It’s about connection.
It’s about slowing down.
It’s about creating something people remember long after the table is cleared.

I’m Susanne—chef, sommelier, mother, author and the woman behind The Tiny Chef.

My culinary journey began at 17, working as the only dishwasher on a packed Saturday night. I quickly fell in love with the rhythm, heat and energy of the kitchen—and I never looked back.

That path led me to Florence, Italy, where I trained at Apicius and immersed myself in Italian cuisine, wine and a way of life centered around food, family and connection.

For nearly two decades, I’ve worked across the food and wine world as a private chef, sommelier, cooking instructor and culinary creator.

For nearly a decade, I served as the private chef to NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon and Ingrid Vandebosch, cooking for their family and guests in an environment where excellence, discretion and consistency mattered. Since then, my work has expanded to include high-profile clients, professional athletes, executives and families who value thoughtful, elevated in-home dining.

I hold the WSET Advanced qualification and a Sommelier Diploma from the International Sommelier Guild, but my deepest education has always come from experience, travel and the people gathered around the table.

My journey has also taken me to television, including competing on Food Network’s Extreme Chef, along with cooking segments and media appearances that have allowed me to share my love of food with a wider audience.

In 2009, I returned to Europe to work on small family farms across Ireland, Spain and Italy. I milked goats, pressed olive oil and harvested grapes alongside farmers and winemakers. That experience brought me back to the roots of food—where it comes from, how it’s grown and why it matters.

Today, I run The Tiny Chef from my small farm in Gold Hill, North Carolina, where I live with my daughter and a few very productive beehives.

I create intimate, story-driven culinary experiences—from multi-course private dinners and destination chef service to hands-on cooking classes and meaningful gatherings. My work blends classical Italian training with seasonal, thoughtfully sourced ingredients and a relaxed, welcoming approach to hospitality.

From Charlotte and Lake Norman to vacation homes and destinations across the Southeast and beyond, I bring the private-chef experience directly to the places where people gather—refined, but never formal.

I’m also the author of Secret Ingredients of Life, a memoir about identity, appetite, Italy, family, reinvention and the hunger for home.

Every dish has a story.
Every menu is personal.
Every gathering is an invitation to connect.

The Tiny Chef isn’t just a business. It’s a life I built—one table, one story and one meal at a time.

And if you’re here, you’re already part of it.