I spent my childhood days watching and learning to bake from my Mother and Grandmother, who had worked in her father’s bakery after school making rolls and bread. Hunting and fishing with my Dad and brother taught me to respect the product. I am a history geek in every way, since my family became involved with living history in 1989.

After an injury in College football, my dreams switched from the field to the kitchen. I had brief stints cooking in Pennsylvania followed by 2 years in coastal Maine.

After a stage at McCrady’s in Charleston I was intrigued by charcuterie and went to do an apprenticeship under world renowned butcher Dario Cecchini at Panzano in Chianti, Italy. Working for Dario changed my life. It made me realize that getting up and loving what you do everyday is rare, do whatever you have to do to achieve this!

I went back to the states after my apprenticeship was over and got a job as the butcher at Husk Restaurant under Chef Sean Brock and Chef De Cuisine Travis Grimes. The next 7 years I worked for the Neighborhood Dining Group at various positions and developed the charcuterie and bread program at Husk.

Half Crown Bakehouse was born from my love of history and food. All of the people in my life have inspired me in some way to make this vision real.