Spotlight: BFS – Madeline Hall
Taste of Ellicottville Celebrity Judge

By Kate Bartlett

      Madeline Hall has dubbed herself the Buffalo Food Slut, and will be making a special appearance as a food judge at the Taste of Ellicottville August 10-11. As a creative director and influencer, Madeline has built a career in the social media world, as well as a foodie. Her content attracts 1.3 million impressions per month nationwide, and she helps businesses build their social media platforms and brand identity.

     Born and raised in Buffalo, NY, Madeline has always had an appreciation for the Buffalo Food Scene, but describes herself as a picky eater as a child. “I was very picky growing up,” recalls Madeline. “It wasn’t until my sister began working at a seafood restaurant in Buffalo that I began to expand my palate. It was like my taste buds suddenly exploded and I couldn’t’ get enough.”

    Madeline began working in the service industry as a freshman in college while studying communications at Buffalo State University. As a freshman, she worked at Spot coffee on Elmwood, starting as a dishwasher, then pouring coffee, and eventually cooking food. “As I poured coffee, I’d watch the food coming out of the kitchen and I didn’t really like what I saw. I asked if I could try cooking a few things and it went great.”  Madeline furthered her experience with the industry cooking and experimenting with different tastes and presentation of food items. She also worked on two food trucks: Minneo & Sappio and Cheesy Chick both cooking and serving food. Her first serving job was at Boomerangs, then work at Cabaret Restaurant. She began as a host but with her outgoing personality, she quickly began to bartend.

       Madeline would throw elaborately themed dinner parties throughout college, hosting her friends with homecooked meals. “I loved hosting and my friends loved eating! It was the perfect combination and made our college years a lot of fun. Everyone was looking for a home-cooked meal. It also gave me experience in the kitchen into being a personal chef.”

     Madeline was faced with serious health issues at a young age when she was diagnosed with SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth) at 22 years old. After 2 years of clean eating, soul searching and Colon Hydro Therapy, Madeline was SIBO free, and has remained so since.     “Facing this at such a young age completely shaped my health journey, and reframed my lifestyle. It’s almost a blessing to have undergone this, as I have a deeper appreciation for food, and I’ve found a balance between health and the Buffalo Food Scene which I love.”

Madeline continued to network in the food community of Buffalo, and obtained her first personal chef opportunity while bartending at Cabaret restaurant in the Theatre District. “I’m a very outgoing person, and I loved sharing pictures of the meals I created. One thing led to another, and I steadily began to gain clients to work for as a personal chef.”

      While building her own social media platforms, Madeline started to learn about the engagement and analytics of social media. “It was fascinating to me,” recalls Madeline. “People really loved watching my food content, so I focused on that aspect for a while. I also learned a ton about how to build a brand and engage the community of social media.”

      Madeline decided to launch her own personal consulting site, helping businesses build their brands and social media platforms. She was recently named the Vice President of Game Day Hospitality after raising their social media engagement by 400% in a year. Her position with Game Day focuses on experiential tailgating around the country for all major sports teams, but mostly the NFL. Her Instagram page has 41,000 followers, and she was named Best Instagrammer in WNY in 2023 by Buffalo Spree.

    Not only is Madeline passionate about food and creative consulting, but she always finds a way to give back to the community. “I live by the motto to give more than you take and to be bigger than your surroundings. A huge part of my mission is to give back to the community, and I’m always seeking creative ways to do that.” During the pandemic, Madeline worked with local restaurants to order food and deliver food to essential workers.

      She was recognized on the Today Show for her acts of Kindness. She was clandestinely in Cincinnati during the Buffalo Bills game where Damar Hamlin’s heart stopped for almost 9 minutes.. “I was planning on leaving the day after the game, but decided I could serve the community during this time of need.” Madeline stayed 3 days and served over 650 essential workers during this time. Having worked with the Thurman Thomas Foundation in the past, he and his wife generously helped fundraise efforts and push on socials how to donate.

     Additionally, Madeline has her own clothing line, which she launched online in 2020. Her brand, BFS Brand athletic leisure wear reflects her style provides a creative outlet, and reaches her followers on a deeper connection.

     Madeline will be judging at the Taste of Ellicottville August 10-11 for her first time. “While I’ve never judged or attended the Taste of Ellicottville, I appreciate all that Ellicottville has to offer, year-round. There’re so many remarkable restaurants within such a small radius, I love how you can walk to everything. Ellicottville is a vibe and it’s great.”

For more information, visit https://bfsbrand.com/, follow on social media @Buffalofoodlsut @madelinehallbflo @bfsbrand and stop down to the Taste of Ellicottville on August 10-11 to find her festival favorites.