SOUS Chef | Brad Gatewood
Our Sous Chef, Brad Gatewood, first remembers becoming interested in cooking when he was in 3rd grade, watching Emeril Lagasse with his parents. He also grew up assisting his grandmother with cooking Thanksgiving dinner every year. It was always his responsibility tocarve the turkey before the family sat down to eat. Chef Brad gained culinary experience in fast food, buffets, and sports bars throughout high school and college. He attended Appalachian State University where he studied Food Services Management. Chef Brad then left the industry for a few years to pursue a degree in Computer Programming but the call of the kitchen would eventually draw him back to the industry. Chef Brad's return to the culinary scene began with his job at Skylines Cafe in Clayton, NC and it was in this small, local favorite cafe that Chef Brad's culinary career really began to take off.
Under Skylines' owner Tina Bolick and head chef Star Smith, Brad spent several years in a scratch kitchen, learning and absorbing as much as he could. Brad started developing his own recipes and creating his own menu specials before he moved to Cleveland Draft House in Garner, NC and assumed the role of kitchen manager. At the Draft House, Brad ran a high volume kitchen with a staff including over 30 line cooks, prep cooks, and dishwashers. He created monthly and weekly specials and discovered the joy that comes from teaching and molding inexperienced cooks. While the passion for teaching was strong, Chef Brad still had the urge to expand his skills and find a new, more experienced mentor to help expand his culinary skillset. Chef Brad would eventually leave the Draft House to become the Chef de Cuisine at a country club.
At the Club at 12 Oaks in Holly Springs, NC, Chef worked side-by-side with Executive Chef Andy Lipford and Sous Chef Eddie Toops. With over 50 years of combined experience between the two chefs, Chef Brad learned and perfected many types of advanced cooking skills. He directly oversaw and assisted with the production of food for large scale banquets, multi-course plated wine dinners, and high quality, made-to-order dining in 3 separate kitchens.
Chef Ben and Chef Brad grew up together, playing soccer and being close friends. When they reconnected later in life, both well established in their culinary careers, they maintained close contact. Chef Ben was eventually able to convince Chef Brad to join the Flavor Hills team after several months of trying. In Chef Brad's own words, his only regret so far was not coming aboard sooner. Brad is excited to be a part of the growing company and Flavor Hills brand and looks forward to gaining even more experience under Chef Ben.