Chris Hastings

Chris Hastings

Keynote Speaker: Chef & Owner of Hot and Hot Fish Club, James Beard Award-Winner

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Chris Hastings Biography

As he prepares to celebrate 25 years of serving Birmingham diners in 2020, James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Hastings is more excited than ever about the future. For starters, Hastings and his wife Idie will celebrate a quarter century of culinary success with the new location of their iconic Birmingham restaurant, Hot and Hot Fish Club with an expansive new space in the city’s popular Lakeview / Pepper Place neighborhood.

As they prepare for the future, the duo is welcoming their son Zeb and daughter-in-law Molly into the family business. The young couple is working beside Hot and Hot’s founders to learn the business from the ground floor up.

Among the first lessons Hastings is imparting to the new generation of Hot and Hot Fish Club owner-operators — it truly takes a village to become a success. Back when the Hastings were poised to open Hot and Hot in the fall of 1995, the farm-to-table movement didn’t even have a name, and in the pre-internet era, building a network of local purveyors meant going business to business, one farm, one dairy at a time.

In addition to being named 'Best Chef: South' by the James Beard Foundation in 2012, Hastings notably beat celebrity chef Bobby Flay when he competed on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America” in 2012. With his wife Idie, Hastings published “The Hot and Hot Fish Club Cookbook: A Celebration of Food, Family and Traditions” via Running Press Publishers in 2009. Their culinary accomplishments, meanwhile, have been written about in the New York Times, USA Today, Garden & Gun, Southern Living, Food & Wine and more.

Hastings first honed his skills at the Johnson & Wales Culinary School in Providence, Rhode Island. After graduation, he moved to Birmingham — where he and Idie met — and worked for Frank Stitt as chef de cuisine of Highlands Bar & Grill. Later, he helped to open Stitt’s second restaurant Bottega. In 1989, the couple relocated to the Bay Area where Hastings worked under Bradley Ogden to open the Lark Creek Inn in Larkspur, California. In 1995, the couple returned home to Birmingham to display the culinary knowledge they had accrued with the debut of Hot and Hot Fish Club, the first farm-to-table restaurant east of the Mississippi.

The new, larger location of Hot and Hot Fish Club at Pepper Place is housed inside the old Martin Biscuit Building that is down the street from the Hastings’ other successful second restaurant Ovenbird, the live-fire, small plates-focused concept the couple opened in 2015 and a thriving catering and consulting business. Hastings says the key to success is building a talented team.

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How do I book Chris Hastings to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Chris Hastings for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Chris Hastings, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Chris Hastings or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Chris Hastings for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Chris Hastings, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fee for a live event is Below $10,000. For the most current speaking fee to hire Chris Hastings, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Chris Hastings speak about?

Chris Hastings is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Food & Beverage, Celebrity Chef and Lifestyle.

Where does Chris Hastings travel from?

Chris Hastings generally travels from Birmingham, AL, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Chris Hastings?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Chris Hastings for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Chris Hastings for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Chris Hastings or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Chris Hastings is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Food & Beverage, Celebrity Chef and Lifestyle. The estimated speaking fee range to book Chris Hastings for live events is Below $10,000. Please contact us for virtual event fees. Chris Hastings generally travels from Birmingham, AL, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Roy Choi, Sean Brock and David Chang. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Chris Hastings for an upcoming event.

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 28/01/2025.

Chris Hastings Reviews

  • It was great!! Chris was so personable with everyone!! He was a huge success! Thanks for all your help!!
    Junior League - Oct 18 2013

Chris Hastings News

  • How do I book Chris Hastings to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Chris Hastings for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Chris Hastings, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Chris Hastings or any other speaker of your choice.
  • How much does it cost to book Chris Hastings for a speaking engagement?

    Speaking fees for Chris Hastings, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fee for a live event is Below $10,000. For the most current speaking fee to hire Chris Hastings, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Chris Hastings speak about?

    Chris Hastings is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Food & Beverage, Celebrity Chef and Lifestyle.
  • Where does Chris Hastings travel from?

    Chris Hastings generally travels from Birmingham, AL, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
  • Who is the agent for Chris Hastings?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Chris Hastings for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Chris Hastings for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Chris Hastings or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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