Camp has a funny way of bringing people into our community when we need them most. At the beginning of the year, we were seeking a new executive chef to lead our culinary operations for both our wedding and summer seasons. The chef role at Camp Pinnacle is unusual compared to many other camp chefs. As many of you are aware, our chef is known well by staff members and campers alike, and is a prominent face of leadership at CP. They are a year-round figure among our camp directors and a valuable player during the summer to create delicious and memorable meals, ensuring campers feel at home. Needless to say, we took the responsibility of finding the right fit very seriously, combing through almost 100 applications and interviewing the 20 strongest candidates. One chef in particular left us excited, impressed, and inspired by the endless culinary opportunities for our community.
Reading through the resume of Chef Jennifer Cole, we found 3 decades cooking experience, an extensive list of awards and accolades, roles as a chef in three different Michelin rated restaurants and time spent honing her craft in several of the world’s culinary destinations. Our reactions were unanimous; she’s overqualified! Surely this chef wouldn’t be interested in cooking for kids and spending her summers at camp! When we gave her a call to provide more details of the role, we expected to clarify some sort of confusion and be let down gently. Instead, we found ourselves discussing the joys of camp life, the great adventures found living in the mountains and the sense of impact provided through working with campers and staff. In short, Jennifer was more than we could hope for in a chef and camp checked all of the boxes she was looking for in her next chapter of life. A perfect pairing!
Chef Jennifer’s early culinary career began in the South, cutting her teeth in Chapel Hill and later in Atlanta, giving her a strong handle on Southern classics. Her career took a leap forward in the Big Easy, New Orleans, where she spent a few years working under renowned Chef Susan Spicer. During a slow season in Louisiana’s infamously hot summer, Jennifer took an opportunity to cook for a short, two months in Spain. Two months quickly turned into 12 years, where she later was recognized as “Best Female Chef in Madrid”. In 2009, Jennifer made her way to New York where she successfully opened two restaurants and established herself among the Upper West Side and Brooklyn dining scenes. A fun capstone on her career was winning an episode of Food Network’s “Chopped”, with her famous Spanish Paella!
After three decades of 80-hour weeks, Chef Jennifer has now returned to her family’s farm in the Asheville area where she is restoring the multi-generational homestead. She fills her time foraging for native ingredients to incorporate into her cooking, walking her dog Maggie and enjoying the much slower and seasonal pace of work that camp provides.
Food is an incredibly important aspect of a successful camp experience. Beyond giving us fuel for our adventures, the chef at camp is one of the most impactful members of our team when it comes to making camp feel like home. As attested by all of the staff and wedding guests who have had the good fortune to enjoy Chef Jennifer’s cooking during this Spring wedding season, we can assure you that this summer will confirm the most direct pathway to a person’s heart is, indeed, through their stomach!