Photo courtesy of Horse Shoe Farm
Brett Suess has joined The Horse Shoe Farm as Chef de Cuisine at The Silo Cookhouse. With a modern take on Appalachian cuisine and a wealth of experience in open-fire cooking, Suess brings a fresh perspective to the restaurant, which is known for its locally inspired menu crafted by executive chef Dan Williams. Suess, a Brevard native, is excited to contribute to the growing food program at the farm and work closely with Chef Williams.
Chef Brett Suess
“My philosophy in the kitchen, first and foremost, is to work hard to provide the best experience possible for my guests, my staff and for the product we serve,” he says. “I love simple yet well-done food that doesn’t seem and isn’t pretentious or jumbled or confusing. I don’t mind making people think about a dish they’re eating, but I also really enjoy creating an effortless experience where you could be a foodie and spend your entire meal analyzing every bite of every dish and feel fulfilled at the end.”
Suess’s culinary journey has taken him through some of Asheville’s most respected kitchens, including Sovereign Remedies, Chattooga Club and The Market Place, where he helped the restaurant earn recognition as a James Beard Outstanding Restaurant semifinalist.
“What drew me to The Silo Cookhouse was that it’s just five minutes from our house,” he says. “After more than ten years of commuting and working mostly in downtown Asheville, it’s so nice to be close to home and in such a more relaxed and calm environment. Also, the idea of helping to further cultivate this food program, as well as the farm in general during this large transition, seemed like a great new project to concentrate on.”
Photos courtesy of Horse Shoe Farm
Suess looks forward to returning to a smaller-scale setting where he can be more creative and focus on producing high-quality, high-touch dishes. While working in larger, busier kitchens downtown, he says he often had to scale back his creativity to allow for greater volume. “I am very much enjoying being back in a smaller volume setting where I can be more creative and produce more high-touch dishes in a smaller and more intimate environment,” he says.
The natural surroundings of The Horse Shoe Farm also play a significant role in influencing Suess’s work. “The physical environment being this gorgeous farm tucked in the mountains is definitely allowing for my head to clear and not feel contained within the concrete jungle all the time,” he says. “I am huge into the outdoors, and so being able to look out the window and see the mountains or take a short walk to the edge of the property and be standing on the bank of the French Broad River is quite a lovely perk. I think being surrounded by a more natural setting is only going to allow me to go about my new role here with more calmness and clarity, which will seep into everything, food included.”
The Silo Cookhouse
Williams has already seen the positive impact Suess has had on the team and the food program. “Having a strong Chef de Cuisine is the cornerstone of any multi-outlet operation,” he says. “Having Chef Brett on the team has allowed me to turn my focus on the growth of the culinary program to include catering and events separate from the à la carte program. He’s passionate, organized and creative, and his leadership with the culinary team has already yielded incredible results in the quality of our product and team mentality.”
The Silo Cookhouse is located at 205 Horse Shoe Farm Drive, Hendersonville. Learn more and make a reservation at TheHorseShoeFarm.com.
