Our Blog
Check out the latest news and events of the hotel.
Andy Chabot
Andy Chabot’s path in hospitality began in restaurants before studying culinary arts and restaurant management at the Culinary Institute of America, where he discovered his passion for front-of-house and beverage. Since joining Blackberry Farm in 2002, he has helped shape one of the country’s most celebrated food and wine programs, growing the cellar from 17,000 bottles into a world-renowned collection. As Senior Vice President of Food and Beverage for Blackberry Farm and Blackberry Mountain, Andy oversees all food and beverage operations across both properties, including restaurant concepts, wine and spirits programs, farmstead initiatives, and special events. Under his leadership, The Barn at Blackberry Farm earned three James Beard Awards, and he also helped lead the culinary vision for Blackberry Mountain. Andy has been featured in Imbibe, Wine Spectator, Food & Wine, The TODAY Show, and Wine Enthusiast’s 40 Under 40, and has passed the advanced level of the Court of Master Sommeliers exam.
Joey Edwards
Joey Edwards discovered his passion for cooking early, drawn to its creativity and ability to bring people together. After studying at Le Cordon Bleu in Orlando and refining his skills in professional kitchens, he joined The Barn at Blackberry Farm in 2013, where he helped shape the culinary program before returning in 2016 as sous chef under Cassidee Dabney. Since then, Joey has taken on leadership roles at Blackberry Mountain, serving as PM Executive Chef of Three Sisters and Sycamore, where he brings together technical skill, creativity, and a deep connection to the land. His love of cooking extends beyond the kitchen into a personal passion for foraging and preparing food over open fire, often paired with a great bottle of wine.
Piero Incisa della Rocchetta
Piero Incisa della Rocchetta is the founder of Chacra, established in 2004 in Mainqué, Patagonia. Grandson of Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, creator of Sassicaia, Piero spent two decades working alongside his family’s estate before pursuing his own vision in Patagonia, inspired by ungrafted Pinot Noir vines planted in 1932 and 1955. Working organically and biodynamically from the beginning, he has focused on restoring old vineyards and expressing the character of Rio Negro through thoughtful farming and precise winemaking. In partnership with renowned Burgundy vigneron Jean Marc Roulot, Chacra also produces Chardonnay rooted in the same philosophy of place. His wines have earned international acclaim, including Chacra Treinta y Dos 2018 being named Wine of the Year by James Suckling, along with two perfect 100 point scores across different vintages. Today, Chacra is celebrated for wines defined by purity, vitality, and a strong sense of terroir shaped by Patagonia’s unique microclimate.
Jill Mathiasson
Jill Klein Matthiasson is the driving force behind the business operations of the Matthiasson family’s farming and wine projects, guided by her belief that the intersection of nature and culture is the heart of the wine and food world. She studied botany at Penn, researched ancient farming techniques in Israel, and earned her Masters degree in agriculture and soil health at UC Davis. In the early 1990s, Jill pioneered farmer to farmer sustainability networking and helped advance the local food movement through programs focused on direct to consumer farming. As she and her husband Steve launched Matthiasson, Jill built the brand’s sales and marketing strategy while managing operations and administration. Today, she oversees sales and brand strategy for Matthiasson while also farming Napa Valley vineyards and heirloom fruit orchards alongside Steve.
Steve Mathiasson
Steve Matthiasson is a Napa Valley based winemaker, viticulturalist, and organic farmer known for crafting balanced wines that reflect their place of origin with honesty and precision. His work under the Matthiasson label has earned widespread acclaim, including Winemaker of the Year honors from both Food & Wine and the San Francisco Chronicle, along with six James Beard Award nominations for Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional. Since 1996, Steve has consulted for renowned Napa Valley vineyards including Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Spottswoode Winery, Araujo Estate, and Dalla Valle Vineyards. He teaches organic viticulture at UC Davis, speaks internationally on regenerative organic agriculture, and helped author several influential sustainability programs for California winegrowing. Together with his wife Jill, Steve farms family vineyards and heirloom fruit orchards in Napa Valley.
Ryan Prewitt
Ryan Prewitt began his culinary career in the farmers markets of San Francisco before working under chefs Robert Cubberly and Alicia Jenish at Le Petite Robert Bistro. He later moved to New Orleans to work alongside Chef Donald Link at Herbsaint, where he quickly rose to Chef de Cuisine before becoming Executive Chef for Link Restaurant Group. Through his work with the Fatback Collective, Ryan traveled extensively to study regional barbecue, open fire cooking in Uruguay, and grilling techniques in Spain, experiences that ultimately inspired the opening of Pêche Seafood Grill. In 2014, Ryan received the James Beard Award for Best Chef: South, the same year Pêche earned the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant.
Tyler Spreen
Tyler Spreen grew up in a small town in central Illinois, where hunting, fishing, foraging, and gathering around food shaped his early connection to cooking. He began working in restaurants at 15, starting as a dishwasher at his uncle’s restaurant before working his way through nearly every front and back of house role. After moving to New Orleans in 2016 with his wife, Tyler worked at Rebirth, Cochon Butcher, and La Petite Grocery before joining Herbsaint, where he quickly rose from sauté cook to sous chef, executive sous chef, chef de cuisine, and eventually executive chef and partner in Spring 2026. Outside the kitchen, Tyler enjoys fishing, carpentry, and spending time cooking at home with his wife Rebecca and their two children.
Stephen Stryjewski
James Beard Award winner Stephen Stryjewski is the Chef and Partner behind several of New Orleans’ most acclaimed restaurants, including Cochon, Cochon Butcher, Pêche Seafood Grill, Gianna, La Boulangerie, and Calcasieu. Recognized as “Best Chef South” by the James Beard Foundation in 2011, Stephen has also been named a “Best New Chef” by New Orleans Magazine and a “Chef to Watch” by The Times Picayune. Under his leadership, Cochon and Pêche have earned national recognition from the James Beard Foundation, The New York Times, and Bon Appétit. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Stephen trained under renowned chefs including Michael Chiarello, Jamie Shannon, and Jeff Buben before settling in New Orleans, where he also co founded the Link Stryjewski Foundation to support youth education and opportunity in the city.
