Chef Biographies

CHEF/OWNER FRED NEUVILLE

Chef Fred Neuville has been the founding Chef / Partner of some of Charleston's favorite restaurants. In 2007 Chef Neuville left to go out on his own with his family and open Fat Hen (Low Country French) and in 2009 opened Wild Olive (Italian)., Neuville spent his days in the restaurant fast lane making an indelible mark on the Charleston food scene. Ready to fuse his passion for food and family, Neuville opens Fat Hen as an outpost for culinary delights and domestic enjoyment.

A native of Roanoke, VA, Neuville graduated from The Culinary Institute of America. Immediately following graduation, he was recruited to support in the start-up of Linwood’s Café & Grill in Baltimore, MD. With his skills honed after five years in a restaurant kitchen he became Chef Garde Manager for The Willard Intercontinental in Washington DC.

Satisfying his wanderlust, in 1992 Neuville ventured to Colorado to work for Aspen’s Milan’s Greenhouse restaurant. It was there that he was recruited as a senior instructor and, later, assistant director, at the School of Culinary Arts in Denver, CO.

After five successful years in the mountains of Colorado, Neuville longed to return to the Southeast. In 1997, he accepted a job as Executive Chef at the Jasmine Porch Restaurant located within the celebrated Kiawah Island Resort in South Carolina and later moved to serve as Executive Chef for “Events by Stephen Duvall” in Charleston. Along the way, Neuville received several coveted industry awards from the American Culinary Federation, the Southern Bridal Show, the Celebrity Pro/Am competitions and the Western Regional Conference. Neuville was recognized by national publications such as Bon Appetit and National Geographic Traveler. Fred Neuville serves as Chef Chair for the Charleston Food & Wine Festival and Darkeness 2 Light.

Not only has Neuville opened two restaurants and a catering company, but he and his wife, Joan, are parents to four amazing adopted foster children, who will each play a role at Fat Hen. “I couldn’t be happier with the diversity of my work and home life,” says Neuville. “Or busier!”

EXECUTIVE CHEF JOHN WHISENANT

Executive Chef John Whisenant graduated from Trident Tech with dual degrees of Culinary and Hotel Restaurant Management (2002). While attending Trident Tech John joined the kitchen staff at Rue De Jean, and moved his way to the sushi bar. John studied sushi under Jonathan Martin for almost two years. John left Rue de Jean to take a position as Sous Chef at The Market Pavilion hotel in Charleston. Following that John returned to Rue De Jean as Sushi Chef position, and created menu items as well as overseeing operations, curing, smoking, and creation. During this time John also instructed continuing education classes at Trident Tech . In 2007 John joined Fat Hen as Sous Chef, then Chef de Cuisine. John is currently Executive Chef of Fat Hen.

PASTRY CHEF LINDSEY COOK

Taking inspiration from her family, Lindsey Cook began her culinary career with an appointment with academic honors to an externship in France during culinary school and through the study of artisanal baking with Chef Imondi. Upon graduation, Lindsey worked under Pastry Chef Kerri Scherrer a the Watercolor Resort's Fish Out Of Waterin Seagrove, FL, and under Pastry Chefs Dominique Olver and Celine Plano at the Ritz Carlton in Atlanta, GA. Lindsey relocated to Charleston, SC to become the Assistant Pastry Chef at The Sanctuary at Kiaway Island under Pastry Chef Claire Chapman. Upon starting a family Lindsey joined Chef Fred Neuville at Fat Hen and Wild Olive as Pastry Chef