She has also served as a past Northeast regional panelist on the James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards Committee. She has earned several awards over the years from the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists and the New England Newspaper & Press Association, including a recent first-place SPJ honor for a story about lobster rolls. Before joining Hearst, she was the food and dining reporter for the Hartford Courant for a decade. Leeanne joined Hearst Connecticut in 2021, but has been working in Connecticut news since 2006.
She covers statewide food happenings, with a focus on Hartford County, and curates CT Insider’s weekly Taste of Connecticut food newsletter. Leeanne Griffin is a senior food reporter for CT Insider, handling coverage of restaurant openings and closings, trends, events and general news about Connecticut food and beverage businesses.
