A Day in the Life of Bon Appétit Editor in Chief Jamila Robinson

Robinson’s day typically begins at 6 a.m. with an hour and a half of freestyle skating, a pursuit she has maintained since her competitive years. This physical discipline sets the tone for a schedule split between managing editorial teams, reviewing visual layouts, and overseeing content across Bon Appétit, Epicurious, and La Cucina Italiana. Her role involves a mix of test kitchen tastings, social media strategy, and long-term planning for major editorial projects, such as the upcoming coverage of America’s 250th anniversary.

Her evenings are as calculated as her mornings. Robinson dines out roughly three times a week to scout industry trends, visiting high-end institutions like Atomix or Le Bernardin. On nights spent at home, she avoids leftovers, preferring to cook fresh, single-serving meals—often pasta or braised vegetables—paired with a glass of Champagne. Baking serves as her primary creative outlet, with a weekly rotation of pies, tarts, and galettes prepared from scratch. Before heading to bed by 11 p.m., she often unwinds with 90s sitcoms, though she admits her best editorial ideas frequently arrive during bouts of middle-of-the-night insomnia.