Shelburne Farms is pleased to announce that John Patterson, former Executive Chef at Fork, in Philadelphia, PA has joined the Farm as its new Executive Chef. In this position, he will be responsible for managing Shelburne Farms’ farm-to-table restaurant at the Inn. Jim McCarthy, now Executive Chef Emeritus, will continue on during this transition season.
“I’ve landed in the best place possible,” says John. “As a chef, you're constantly searching for the freshest, the most beautiful, the best product that you can get delivered or shipped to you. But at Shelburne Farms, you can literally bring that product from half a mile away and have it on the plate that night. And it's grown with integrity and character. Everything is treated with love here. And because of that you can taste the difference. As a chef, that's all you're looking for ever.”
John is equally committed to the nonprofit’s educational mission. “The ideals of this facility and this farm are incredible,” John says, “It’s an actual working farm that’s a nonprofit putting conscience first. Everything else supports that goal. Education is built into the system here and that’s amazing, because at the end of the day, I want to know that what I am doing is making a difference for the next generation.”
Patterson joins the Farm after a 20-year career in the hospitality industry. In addition to his time at Fork, during which the restaurant earned two James Beard Award nominations, John worked as sous chef at Gramercy Tavern in New York, NY, Talula’s Table in Kennett Square, PA, and at Blackfish, in Conshohocken, PA. He is a native of Pennsylvania.
“We are tremendously excited to have John on board,” says Ari Sadri, Director of the Inn at Shelburne Farms. “His skills and talent will continue to showcase the wonderful products from the Farm. And given the breadth of the role that John will play across the organization, we are extremely fortunate to have Executive Chef Emeritus Jim McCarthy supporting us in that transition.”
Shelburne Farms is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to cultivate and inspire learning for a sustainable future. That means learning that links knowledge, inquiry, and action to help students build a healthy future for their communities and the planet. Shelburne Farms’ campus is a 1,400-acre working farm, forest, and National Historic Landmark. For information, please visit www.shelburnefarms.org.