Kelly Jacques

2025 Food & Wine Best New Chef

Kelly Jacques co-owns Ayu Bakehouse, a beloved modern bakery in New Orleans, with her friend and longtime colleague Samantha Weiss. As chef, Kelly has led the bakery to critical acclaim for its creative interpretation of flavors—from Kelly’s Southeast Asian heritage and Samantha’s New York upbringing to their adoptive hometown of New Orleans—through the lens of pastry. Together with Samantha, she has parlayed her passion for mentorship into programs like Ayu Schoolhouse, a paid employee benefit that teaches entrepreneurial and practical skills.

Within its first year, Ayu was featured in Southern Living’s “40 Best Restaurants in New Orleans”; in 2024, Bon Appétit named it one of the country’s most exciting bakeries, and one year later, Kelly was named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs. The bakery has also earned praise in Bloomberg and The Infatuation, and its king cake was voted best in New Orleans by NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune readers.