Throughout the food industry there are a number of talented and creative individuals who are making major contributions--that include (but aren't limited to) the art of food preparation. On these pages, we highlight some of those contributors who continue to display the varied skills that have gained them respect in culinary circles.

WALTER J. ROYAL Executive Chef * The Angus Barn * Raleigh, N.C.

Walter J. Royal directs a kitchen staff of more than 80 people and oversees the preparation of more than 500 pounds of beef every week. The 42-year-old chef flexes his creative muscles by developing special menus in the restaurant's exclusive Wine Cellar room. In 1997, Royal became the first Black chef to receive the prestigious Five Star Chef of the Year Award from the International Restaurant Guild. Other awards have included the Best Chef in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Triangle area, the Top Black Chef in America, and a Rising Star by The James Beard Association. He will also lead a group of food journalists through Western France this spring, exploring the foods of the region and demonstrating how subtle ingredients indigenous to the South can influence the composition of the dish.

Alabama-born, Royal acquired his passion for Southern food from his grandmother, and at age 17 decided that he wanted to cook professionally. His family, concerned that being a successful Black chef in the South was risky business, encouraged him to attend college instead. He went to LaGrange College in Georgia and Auburn University in Alabama, graduating with a master's degree in psychology. Royal worked with mentally disadvantaged children for five years, until he had the time and resources to take a nine-month course at Nathalie Dupree's Cooking School in Atlanta.

Before joining The Angus Barn in 1996, Royal developed his skills at a number of top restaurants in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel HIll Triangle area. In 1982 he joined Fearrington House in Pittsboro, working as sous chef under the famed Edna Lewis. In 1986, he moved to Durham's Magnolia Grill. From 1990 to 1991, Royal was executive chef/co-owner of The Crescent Cafe in Durham. Stints at Claire's Mangum House and the Inn at Bonnie Brae followed.