ABOUT SOUTHERN KEEP

My passion for Southern food was rooted during my childhood and the countless hours I spent in the kitchens of my grandmothers and my great-grandmother in a small South Georgia town.  As her first great-grandchild, I cherished the times we spent together, and though the topic of conversation was rarely about food, food was always present.  I was only a few years into my Culinary career when she passed, but the lessons I learned from her continue to reveal themselves to this day.   It is her recipes and the food that I grew up eating that have inspired Southern Keep®.

My professional career began under the tutelage of Chef Mike Lata in 2000 at Anson, and then later on at F.I.G. I graduated from the Culinary Institute of Charleston in 2004,

married in 2005, and over the next nine years, held Chef positions at two of the South’s finest luxury resorts, The Cloister at Sea Island (GA), and The Inn at Palmetto Bluff (SC). In 2014, I returned to Charleston to continue my career as a Chef. I continue to combine my meticulous technique with the love and passion I have for good, honest food.

Southern Keep® is a family business, from my wife labeling the jars, to our 11 year old daughter helping out by picking the berries at local farms.  I use only locally grown organic ingredients,  I love food, and I pour my heart and soul into everything I make, I hope you’ll enjoy!