Perhaps most known for his stints as the test kitchen manager at Bon Appétit and the host of It’s Alive with Brad, Brad Leone is a chef-turned-author who loves to experiment with fermentation, fungi, and regional culinary traditions and tastes. We’ve been huge fans of Brad for quite a while, so we jumped at the opportunity to collaborate with him on a limited-edition, nature-inspired Model One BT. These 50 pieces will be made available for purchase on a first-come, first-served basis starting Nov. 10, 2021.

Growing up in “the pretty part” of New Jersey, Brad Leone spent most of his time outdoors — a fact that has heavily influenced his culinary style. His newest cookbook, Field Notes for Food Adventure, is an exploration of the Northeast and all that it has to offer food enthusiasts – from foraging, fishing, and hunting to maple tree tapping.

When we kicked off this collaboration with Brad, he knew exactly what he wanted in this limited-edition design. He selected a spalted maple wood for the radio’s casing because of its unique grain and the natural decay process that gives the wood its dark discoloration. These characteristics mean that each cut of spalted maple is one-of-a-kind and shows mother nature hard at work. This type of wood in the casing also lends a brighter tone to the radio’s sound.

Keeping it local, the Limited Edition Brad Leone Model One BT’s cabinets were hand-crafted in central Massachusetts — a region historically known for furniture manufacturing — by local craftsman Jeff Woods, founder of Jeff Woods Furniture. These fifty cabinets were then brought to our hometown of Boston, Massachusetts for final assembly.