Valerie Aikman-Smith is a chef, food stylist, consultant, drinks specialist and cookbook author based in Los Angeles. She first cooked at the innovative Greens restaurant in San Francisco alongside Annie Somerville and worked at the legendary Alice Waters Berkeley eatery, Chez Panisse.
Valerie soon segued her chef skills and talent into food styling. Her first film assignment was James Cameron's TITANIC. That venture led to a succession of movies such as Oceans 11, Vanilla Sky, XXX2 State of the Union, The Family Stone, Bi-Centennial Man, The Wild Wild West, Bounce and Town & Country.
Her editorial work includes international assignments for Bon Appetit magazine where she has cooked and styled her way through the Greek Islands, Paris, Mexico, Croatia, Scotland and the USA. Additionally, her work is seen in many cookbooks, commercials, print and advertising campaigns.
As a Culinary Producer and Food Stylist she has worked on the Emmy award winning Food Network shows Every Day Italian and Giada at Home. She styled the launch of the “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” campaign for Target, which features Giada De Laurentiis’s debut food and cookware line.
Valerie is the author and stylist of the cookbooks Cooking in Cast Iron and Juicy Drinks for Williams Sonoma.
Salt & Pepper, Feast From The Fire, Smoke & Spice, Pickled & Packed and SALT published by Ryland Peters & Small and CITRUS for Ten Speed Press, Random House. She is also a contributor to Food 52, Sweet Paul Magazine, GOOP. Martha Stewart Living, GFF and Crate & Barrel.
CLIENTS
Chipotle . UBER EATS . AMAZON . Samsung . Kitchen Aid . Braun DeLonghi . Wolf/Sub Zero . Kraft . IHOP . The Beef Council . Mod Pizza
Calphalon . Bosch . Denny’s . Instacart . Kikkoman . Hunt Wesson . POM Wonderful . Crate & Barrel . CB2 . Hershey’s . Nestle
Starbucks . Coca Cola . Sprinkles . Sunkist . Target . Kohl’s . Nancy Silverton . Bobby Flay . Hans Rockenwagger . Wolfgang Puck
Giada DeLaurentiis . Curtis Stone. Kelloggs . Chinet . Safeway . Sams Club . Del Monte . Bertolli . Belvita . The Pork Council
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association . Kingsford. Applebee’s . So Delicious . Williams Sonoma . Ocean Spray . Silk . Fuji
Gallo Wines . Johnnie Walker . Smirnoff . Viansa Vineyards . Robert Mondavi . Stella Artois . Flemings Steakhouse . Gold Peak
Ragu . Plated . Hillshire Farms . California Pizza Kitchen . Dreyers . El Pollo Loco . Nescafe . Target . Baileys . The Egg Council
Bertolli . Publix . California Milk Advisory Board . Chik-Fil-A . Walmart . Somebody Feed Phil . Nancy Silverton . Bobby Flay . Tillamook . Moe’s Southwest
Grill . Silk . Char Broil . Lay’s . Boursin . Sour Patch Kids . Weber . Chiobani . Ragu . Kozy Shack . Princess Cruises .
Ryland Peters & Small . CICO . Ten Speed Press . Random House . Weldon Owen . Clarkson Potter . Chronicle . Kinfolk . Vogue
Sweet Paul . Bon Appetit . Sunset . GOOP. Real Simple . Vanity Fair . Tastemade . Disney . Food Network . Martha Stewart