How rich is Spring Baking Championship judge Kardea Brown? Estimated net worth explored

Food Network powerhouse and Spring Baking Championship judge Kardea Brown is estimated to have a net worth between $800,000 and $5 million, per Distractify. Her primary income comes from hosting Delicious Miss Brown and judging the Spring Baking Championship, and making appearances on Beat Bobby Flay and Chopped Junior.

The South Carolina chef turned television star signed a major Food Network contract in 2021. Her 2022 cookbook, The Way Home, adds to revenue streams that include speaking events, brand partnerships, and her restaurant. Brown's television success extends across multiple Food Network programs.

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Spring Baking Championship judge Kardea Brown brings Gullah recipes to national TV

As host of Delicious Miss Brown, she brings Southern cooking techniques to wide audiences. Her role on the Spring Baking Championship places her alongside experienced judges Duff Goldman and Nancy Fuller. Additional appearances include cooking competitions like Beat Bobby Flay, Chopped Junior, and Family Food Showdown, per Food Network.

Kardea Brown’s income combines television contracts, cookbook royalties, and earnings from food events. Brown's first cookbook, The Way Home, hit stores in 2022, adding author credentials to her portfolio.

Her restaurant, New Gullah Supper Club, continues generating revenue through special dining experiences that celebrate Gullah/Geechee culinary traditions.

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Success journey

As per Media Referee, the Spring Baking Championship judge's roots trace back to Charleston, South Carolina, where she originally pursued accounting before shifting to culinary arts at the Culinary Institute of Charleston.

Her Gullah/Geechee heritage shapes her cooking approach as she uses traditional techniques passed down from her grandmother. After completing culinary training, she created the New Gullah Supper Club to showcase family recipes through dining experiences.

As per Model Peeps, her husband, Bryon Smith, worked as a customer success lead at Comcast from May 2015 to February 2023. He has previously worked at PepsiCo and State Farm. Smith proposed on New Year's Eve 2023, marking a personal milestone alongside Brown's professional achievements.

Before her television success, Brown left her social services career in April 2015 when her then-boyfriend signed her up to audition for a Food Network show, per Garden and Gun magazine. Though she did not land any role at the time, but Food Network kept in touch and later placed her on shows such as Beat Bobby Flay and Cupcake Championship.

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Husband and family

Brown attended the Culinary Institute of Charleston after studying accounting. Her roots in Gullah culture remain central to her cooking philosophy and television presentations. More recently, she's preparing to open a restaurant at Charleston International Airport while maintaining her television commitments and developing a new cookbook.

As per People Magazine, she married Bryon Smith on March 8, 2024, at Solaz luxury resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with 85 guests attending. She wore a custom Laury Bride gown inspired by Adele's concert dress. They played Brian McKnight's Never Felt This Way for the processional and had a surprise performance by rapper Project Pat.

Celebrity guests included restaurateur Melba Wilson and television producer Jawn Murray. The couple chose food stations over formal dining, highlighting local seafood. Their multi-tiered cake combined red velvet and dulce de leche flavors.

Before marriage, the Spring Baking Championship had a boyfriend named Nassir, who appeared in a 2020 episode of her show. There is not much known about Nassir.

Meanwhile, as per People Magazine, Brown and Smith first met in September 2016 and started dating casually. They went their separate ways but rekindled their romance during the COVID-19 pandemic. This eventually led to Smith's New Year's Eve 2023 proposal and their 2025 wedding.

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Spring Baking Championship season 11 is airing on the Food Network.