Blue Hill Restaurants Pivot to Chef-In-Residence Model

The Blue Hill restaurant at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, New York will not reopen under its current format next year, but instead will house a chef-in-residence program, reports The New York Times. 

In a letter, chef-owner Dan Barber told staff of the plan whereby he hopes to welcome four chefs over the next year, one for each season, and run the restaurant under the visiting chef’s name at Stone Barns. This pivot had been in the works before COVID-19, but was fast-tracked once the pandemic hit New York. 

“This came about because we have been reflecting on this moment in time and where a restaurant belongs in our culture,” said Barber. Barber, along with his partners, brother David and sister-in-law Laureen, think this program will “shine a light” on chefs who haven’t had opportunities like this before, or have lost their kitchens or jobs to the pandemic.

Barber added that the long-term future of the restaurants had yet to be decided, and that after the one year residency program, they might reopen in 2021. Full Story

Related: Murray’s Cheese Opens Cheese Shop, Restaurant; Foodservice Industry May Lose $300 Billion.

Image: Blue Hill at Stone Barn