HIS& HERS
WEC Executive Chef
Aaron Kemp:
Appetite for Reduction
With L.A. Sokolowski, equinista
It wouldn’t take a steel meat cleaver to convince
anyone that World Equestrian Center executive chef
Aaron Kemp has the chops for his job (besides that
callous on the index finger of his knife hand, that is).
In September 2019, when WEC announced a strategic
land purchase tripled its Ohio facility and launched
its Centers into the horse show stratosphere as the
world’s largest equestrian venues, that vision included
expanding its Paddock Club restaurant and adding
a state-of-the-art kitchen helmed by ‘Ex Chef’ Aaron.
The culinary rewards have been immediate: Exhibitors
at October’s WEC Fall II and Fall III series were feted
with Friday and Saturday buffets, elaborate ringside
exhibitor parties brimming with interactive garden
boxes, expansive farm boards (purple heirloom cauliflower,
anyone?), and a bevy of reimagined entrées
(try the Eggplant Napoleon), hors d’oeuvres and decadent
desserts. Meet Chef Aaron, who’s committed to
feeding and watering every rider like a champion.
HERS: What’s the first thing you learned to cook and who
taught you?
HIS: German dumplings with my great-grandma, then her
Challah bread.
HERS: What’s your favorite meal now?
HIS: My wife Terri’s friend’s chicken.
HERS: What book would you like time to read?
HIS: Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg,
and Eleven Madison Park by Daniel Humm.
HERS: Last series you binge watched?
HIS: The Detour and Chef’s Table.
HERS: What never got the chance to be included on your
résumé?
HIS: The immense number of hours spent in bakeries and
restaurants working for free so I could learn better techniques
from incredible people.
HERS: How old were you when you got your first paying job
and what was it?
HIS: 12, as a dishwasher in a fine restaurant: the beginning
of this journey.
HERS: Give me an example of how you faced a difficult
problem and solved it.
HIS: Back when I was much younger and much less intelligent
(I can’t state that enough in this scenario), I had
EQUINE Lifestyle
watched chefs rule with an iron fist and thought that
was how it was supposed to be. After an exhausting service
where ticket after ticket kept coming back, I started yelling
and trying to make my point heard to stress the importance
of service and standards. Needless to say, the kitchen staff
walked out after closing. The problem was admitting to
myself, and my staff, that my approach to management
- what had been taught to me – was wrong. I had to reprogram
myself, as a 20-year chef, to do things in a new way.
HERS: What’s your superpower or spirit animal?
HIS: My spirit animal is a person, Grant Achatz, chef at Alinea
in Chicago (three-time Restaurant of the Year, James
Beard Award for Best Service in the United States, and one
of only 12 in America to earn a Michelin 3-star rating). He
inspires me as a leader and co-worker to push boundaries
and not limit myself, no matter the obstacle. Most importantly
to never accept just ‘good enough.’
HERS: What is your favorite quote?
HIS: “In America, the professional kitchen is the last refuge
of the misfit. It’s a place for people with bad pasts to find a
new family,” Anthony Bourdain.
HERS: How would you describe yourself in one word?
HIS: Intense
HERS: What motivates you to get out of bed in the morning?
HIS: Growth. The opportunity to go out and change other’s
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