Macready Downer

Years of Participation

Macready Downer is an award-winning chef, formally trained at the Scottsdale Culinary Arts Institute. He has extensive experience working in high-end, formal dining establishments. Macready has trained under Kevin Binkley and Jose Andres. Kevin has been shortlisted for a James Beard Award five years running. Jose Andres is a world-renowned chef who won the James Beard Award for Best Chef in 2011, while Macready was working as an Executive Chef at his restaurant, Mini Bar, in Washington, DC. In January of 2017, after spending 6 weeks traveling and eating in Mexico, Macready opened Semilla, a Mexican street food-inspired food truck. After unprecedented success with the food truck, Downer decided to move forward with a brick and mortar concept, the same-named Semilla Restaurant in August of 2018.