Johnston, SC - Heather Biddlecome has returned home to Edgefield County to do exactly what she loves.

 

In Biddlecome, a 2009 graduate of Strom Thurmond High School, the Edgefield County School District and Edgefield County School District Child Nutrition now have an executive chef who is creating healthy and tasty new recipes for all school district students and staff.

 

She joined the school district after the school district was named as a Healthy Meals Incentives grantee during the 2023-24 school year. The grant is part of an allocation of nearly $30 million by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to 264 schools across 44 states.

 

Her educational background includes an Associate of Applied Science Degree with a focus on Baking and Pastry from the Art Institute of Charleston (SC), while her professional experience includes work as a former executive chef of a popular local eatery, The Old Edgefield Grill. 

 

"I attended Merriwether Elementary, Merriwether Middle and I graduated from Strom Thurmond High and the idea of coming back home was really enticing for me," stated Biddlecome. "I have a passion for food and I love working with students, so the opportunity was really the best of both worlds."

 

"Being able to come back to my home community where I received that love and care and nurturing is awesome," she added.

 

Biddlecome says she will be working the remainder of the school year on improving the culinary experiences of students through a number of taste testing opportunities.

 

"We want to find out what the students like and don't like," commented Biddlecome. "When I'm tweaking our current recipes I'm looking for those little surprises and flavors they may have had at home, but never in a school setting. We're going to have more of what they love."