Acheson took his first kitchen job when he was fifteen years old, He subsequently worked at other well-known Ottawa restaurants, before moving to
Montreal, Quebec, to attend
Concordia University. At Henry Burger, Acheson learned about
French cuisine,
wine and
etiquette under chef Rob McDonald. Later in the 1990s, Acheson moved with his wife from Ottawa to her hometown of
Athens, Georgia • Acheson opened The Florence in Savannah, Georgia, in Spring 2014. The Italian restaurant sourced local vegetables and seafood while serving pasta and pizza before closing in June 2017. • In 2015, Acheson opened Spiller Park, a coffee shop in
Ponce City Market, with Dale Donchey, who ran the coffee program at Empire State South. Spiller Park has continued to grow, with five locations open or in the works as of Spring 2024, though Acheson is no longer involved. • In January 2018, Acheson opened Achie's at the Omni Hotel at The Battery Atlanta, part of the Braves stadium complex, serving "riffs on traditional Southern fare as well as dishes such as poutine, burgers, and ballpark snacks on game days." It closed in November of the same year. • On February 2, 2021, Acheson's latest culinary business, Ovide, opened its doors as Hotel Effie's signature restaurant in Sandestin, Florida. The restaurant is a fusion of coastal cuisine with a French influence. In April 2024, Acheson announced his was selling his only remaining Georgia restaurant, Five and Ten, to long-time partner Peter Dale.
Television In 2011, Acheson competed on
season 3 of
Top Chef Masters, a
reality competition show in which experienced celebrity chefs compete against each other in various challenges. He was eliminated in the first round, but subsequently returned in the second episode after another chef withdrew. He ultimately finished in fifth place out of twelve competitors. He was then invited to become a judge on
season 9 of
Top Chef, of which
Top Chef Masters is a
spin-off.
Top Chef is a cooking competition show in which lesser-known chefs compete and are judged by more experienced chefs. Acheson also served as a judge on
season 10 of
Top Chef, which ran November 2012 to February 2013. In 2013, he returned as a judge on
Top Chef season 11 and as host and judge of "Battle of the
Sous Chefs", a component of season 5 of
Top Chef Masters. In 2020 he appeared as a judge on the Food Network Canada competition series
Wall of Chefs. In 2025, it was announced that Acheson would be one of the judges for
MasterChef Canada.
Books Acheson published his first
cookbook,
A New Turn in the South: Southern Flavors Reinvented for Your Kitchen, in 2011. Hugh published his second cookbook, entitled
Pick a Pickle: 50 recipes for Pickles, Relishes and Fermented Snacks, in the spring of 2014. His third cookbook was released in the spring of 2015 under the title
The Broad Fork. In the fall of 2017, his fourth cookbook was published,
The Chef and the Slow Cooker. In his fifth cookbook,
Sous Vide: Better Home Cooking, published in October 2019, Acheson introduces many home cooks to the sous vide method of food preparation with 90 recipes to choose from.
Awards Acheson is a James Beard Foundation award winner as both a chef and cookbook author. He has been nominated nine times, with two wins. • Semifinalist, Outstanding Chef 2018 - Five and Ten • Nominee, Outstanding Restaurateur 2019 • Winner, American Cooking 2012 - Best American Cookbook -
A New Turn in the South: Southern Flavors Reinvented For Your Kitchen • Nominee, Best Chefs 2007 • Nominee, Best Chefs 2008 • Nominee, Best Chefs 2009 • Nominee, Best Chefs 2010 • Nominee, Best Chefs 2011 • Winner, Best Chefs 2012 - Southeast - Five and Ten Acheson was named one of the best new chefs in the
United States by
Food & Wine magazine in 2002. ==Personal life==