David Bancroft is Chef and Owner of both Acre and Bow & Arrow in Auburn, Alabama. Born in Alabama and raised in San Antonio, TX, David Bancroft’s passion for food began at an early age. Bancroft was heavily influenced by his grandparent’s cooking and farming practices, particularly drawing knowledge and inspiration from his grandfather who farmed cattle, catfish, cotton, and peanuts in South Alabama. Bancroft grew up eating some of the best cuisine the South has to offer and parlayed his love of food and farming into a passion for cooking, inspired by his family’s approach to home-style dining. Bancroft spent time on the Alabama family farm hunting and fishing with his grandfather and learning how to smoke brisket and barbecue in South Texas, while developing a deep appreciation and care for the meat and its procurement process.

In August 2013, Bancroft and his wife Christin opened Acre, where the seasonally-influenced menu reinterprets the rich heritage of Alabama cuisine and celebrates sustainable ingredients sourced from the on-site gardens & local bounty of the surrounding community. In September 2018, Bancroft opened his second restaurant concept, Bow & Arrow, an interpretation of a South Texas smokehouse juxtaposed with the communal and casual dining approach of an Alabama potluck. Bancroft is a 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation’s “Best Chef: South” award and winner of Food Network’s "Iron Chef Showdown” competition in 2017.