HEAD CATERING CHEF - CHRIS HALL
Background: Chris Hall has been our Catering Head Chef for three years. Before becoming a part of the Jack Stack family, Chris spent most of his time working in the hotel industry. While working as the Executive Chef at the Intercontinental, he gained valuable experience writing and developing custom menus for guests. Chef Chris brings his same passion of customizing our Jack Stack catering offerings to ensure that each event is uniquely tailored to each of our guests.
Turning a Hobby into a Career: Chef Chris grew up on a farm in Minnesota and developed a passion for food and cooking at a young age, with help from his mother and grandmother. He says, “My grandmother was a really great cook from Switzerland, and she taught me a lot of what I know as a Chef.” Growing up on a farm, Chris and his family grew their own vegetables and raised their own chickens and pigs, which encouraged him to experiment with different flavors. Chef Chris said, “That’s how I really grew to love food because I grew up on a farm where I was able to eat so many different things all of the time.”
Falling in Love with Barbecue: Chef Chris enjoys learning about the Kansas City barbecue customs from the smoking process, to the use of hickory wood to the Pit Master’s knowledge. He says, “Getting in the pit and really learning the entire process has been thrilling. It’s more about the hickory smoke flavor and not just slathering sauce and seasonings on everything.” His favorite barbecue meat is the Lamb Ribs.
Going Beyond Barbecue: Chef Chris has expanded our Beyond Barbecue Catering offerings by creating delicious new items such as the Braised Short Ribs and Brandy Peppercorn Meatballs. He says, “Our core is always going to be the barbecue, but breaking through to other offerings brings us closer to what customers get in a hotel setting, without the hotel. We can do whatever the customer wishes, everything from 10 people barbecue buffets to 5,000 people plated dinners, and that doesn’t have to be barbecue, but it can be. We provide our guests with options.”
Fun Fact: When he’s not in the kitchen, Chris loves being in the outdoors. “I’m a huge hunter and I love to fish.”
Background: Chris Hall has been our Catering Head Chef for three years. Before becoming a part of the Jack Stack family, Chris spent most of his time working in the hotel industry. While working as the Executive Chef at the Intercontinental, he gained valuable experience writing and developing custom menus for guests. Chef Chris brings his same passion of customizing our Jack Stack catering offerings to ensure that each event is uniquely tailored to each of our guests.
Turning a Hobby into a Career: Chef Chris grew up on a farm in Minnesota and developed a passion for food and cooking at a young age, with help from his mother and grandmother. He says, “My grandmother was a really great cook from Switzerland, and she taught me a lot of what I know as a Chef.” Growing up on a farm, Chris and his family grew their own vegetables and raised their own chickens and pigs, which encouraged him to experiment with different flavors. Chef Chris said, “That’s how I really grew to love food because I grew up on a farm where I was able to eat so many different things all of the time.”
Falling in Love with Barbecue: Chef Chris enjoys learning about the Kansas City barbecue customs from the smoking process, to the use of hickory wood to the Pit Master’s knowledge. He says, “Getting in the pit and really learning the entire process has been thrilling. It’s more about the hickory smoke flavor and not just slathering sauce and seasonings on everything.” His favorite barbecue meat is the Lamb Ribs.
Going Beyond Barbecue: Chef Chris has expanded our Beyond Barbecue Catering offerings by creating delicious new items such as the Braised Short Ribs and Brandy Peppercorn Meatballs. He says, “Our core is always going to be the barbecue, but breaking through to other offerings brings us closer to what customers get in a hotel setting, without the hotel. We can do whatever the customer wishes, everything from 10 people barbecue buffets to 5,000 people plated dinners, and that doesn’t have to be barbecue, but it can be. We provide our guests with options.”
Fun Fact: When he’s not in the kitchen, Chris loves being in the outdoors. “I’m a huge hunter and I love to fish.”