Executive Restaurant Chef Craig Hetherington Seattle Art Museum
Location: Seattle, Washington Number of people fed each day: 200-300 With Bon Appétit Management Company since: 2007 Farm to Fork Farmer: Full Circle Farms and Skagit River Ranch
Quote: “Being located downtown near Pike Place Market makes
us part of the vibrant, local food scene. We have access to native fresh
seafood, wonderful farmstead cheeses, wild mushrooms, and the most flavorful
just-picked vegetables available anywhere. Every day I’m absolutely inspired by
what we have right here in the
Pacific Northwest.
Our local cuisine is the cornerstone of everything we do. If someone in the
kitchen comes up with a great idea for a dish, we first see if we can get the
ingredients locally. If we can’t get them, or we’re unable to adapt the dish
using local ingredients, we don’t make it. It’s as simple as that.”
Why I work with food: I got my first scar at the age of five peeling potatoes with
my mom. I was always in the kitchen when I was growing up. My whole family
cooks, so this isn’t so strange. Because my family is a very food-focused
family, I learned from an early age the power food has to bring people together.
My earliest memories are of sitting around the table for hours with the whole
family, talking and eating together. Becoming a chef was a natural progression.
I started working in restaurants as soon as I was old enough to work, and went
through the culinary program at
SouthSeattleCommunity
College. My first job out of culinary school was
for a high-end catering company right here in
Seattle. It was there that I learned about
seasonality, which is not something chefs are always taught in school. It was
part of my job to go to the farmers’ market to buy the day’s produce and that’s
where I began to develop the relationships with farmers that I still carry on
today. Here atSAM, I love having the
freedom to purchase the best available from local producers and write my menus
accordingly. I cook pretty simply to showcase our local ingredients and to stay
true to the food. There are never more than a few elements to a plate. I serve
a seared local halibut accompanied by nothing more than a perfect potato galette
made with local
Yukons
and a simple braise of fennel and rhubarb. In spring you might find a risotto
made with local morel mushrooms, green garlic, and baby beets. Almost any time
of the year when I look at our menus, we’re using about 75% to 80% local
ingredients. That’s something I’m very proud of.
What sustainability means to me:
Sustainability has become such a catch word that I feel the
definition can mean almost anything, depending on the agenda of the person
using the word.I define sustainability
as doing things responsibly and having accountability. In fact, our motto here
is “taste responsibly.” Not only are we responsible for sourcing products in a
way that doesn’t harm the environment, but we are also responsible for and
accountable to our communities. I purchase everything I possibly can from local
producers because my purchases have a direct impact by keeping money in our
local economy. Though someone in
Iowa
may be making sustainably produced artisan cured meats, I’d rather purchase a
local product. I will go out of my way to seek out local, sustainable producers
rather than going with well-known producers elsewhere. It’s not enough just to
buy the products locally. I also feel responsible to help spread the word to
keep these people in business. Showcasing a local producer’s products on my
menus and holding farmer and winemaker dinners is a great way to expose our
diners to the wonderful products right here in their own backyards. I feel like
if I’m not supporting some of these small producers, I’m responsible if they
cease to exist. I get a kick out of showcasing items like Skagit River Ranch
Hot Italian Sausage on a pizza with local arugula, cheese, and herbs. Or local
eggs in a frittata with local sweet peas, and chèvre.
Why Bon Appétit Management Company is Different:
Because I’m given the freedom to menu in the way that I feel
is most sustainable for my community, and am encouraged to push even further
than our 20% local commitment, I feel absolutely supported in what I do here.
If Bon Appétit Management Company wasn’t always swimming upstream and pushing
the envelope into more and more sustainable practices, I wouldn’t work here.