Chef / Owner Jenny Gladding, a Virginia native, lived in New York City, Europe, and Japan, before relocating to Charlottesville. Jenny’s introduction to the world of culinary arts took place in the summer following her first year at the University of Virginia. She recalls, “I was dining at the C&O in the iconic, cream-washed upstairs dining room when a waiter presented me with a miniature chocolate bag filled with sponge cake, pastry cream, and other delights. It was named, “Petit Sac de Plaisir.” At that moment, I was hooked and reached out to pastry chef, Kate Rander, offering to apprentice with her during my summer break. She accepted and that was the beginning of my culinary adventure.” Jenny did further training in an apprenticeship with French chefs and spent time as the Pastry Chef at Jared’s Restaurant, one of the first classical French restaurants in Asheville, NC in the 1980s.
For the next decade, Jenny followed a parallel career as a photographic fashion model for the Ford Agency living and working in major European and American cities. During these years, she was exposed to cooking techniques in Italy, France, and Spain, continuing to develop her culinary skills. A desire to leave the bustle of the fashion business and the New York City of the late ’80s led to a position as the lead chef for The Greyfield Inn on Cumberland Island, National Seashore. Cooking at The Greyfield Inn was a “farm to table” experience before the term was coined, culling organic, seasonal ingredients from an extensive garden adjoining the property.
In recent years, she has added to her repertoire of culinary techniques, developing an interest in plant-based cuisine as the creative frontier of cooking for health and sustainability. Jenny’s cooking style combines the various elements of her past; Southern tradition, and a California influence on classic French and Italian cuisine, with a decided nod to “comforting fare presented with whimsical grace.”
Locally, she has provided baking and pastry chef services to Harvest Moon Catering and A Pimento Catering, and worked as partner and co-chef at Aha Cuisine prior to taking over the business in Spring of 2020.
