I don’t really feel like being a chef was something I chose, the career chose me. After my first kitchen job at 13 in the dish-pit, I was really drawn to the camaraderie of a kitchen team. Being a weird and awkward teenager, the kitchen was a comfortable place for me to be myself. It wasn’t until I worked my way up that I realized there was more to this job than the social aspect and realized I fell in love with food. From there, my passion really began to grow. To me, what makes cooking so relevant in my life is because working with food was an extremely positive and creative outlet that I could channel all my energy and passion into.

My relationship with food is something I personally find very important, but I can’t exactly speak for everyone else. Sure, in my perfect world, everyone would understand the importance of eating locally and respecting the food we prepare and the sources from which they grow. But that’s for people to
choose on their own. As an avid Hunter/angler I have a great deal of respect for food. I don’t take food for granted or the hard work that goes into the farming or harvesting it. And that’s something I think people have become removed from today.

Aside from the fact that food brings family and friends together everyday, it also supports your community. If you eat locally and support local produce and vendors you not only get to share amazing food with family and friends but you support the very community that you call home, which to me is extremely important. Also if it wasn’t for food and people’s love of food, I would be unemployed, playing the drums in my basement all day.

Matt Payne - Chef de cuisine at Treadwell