The Little Things – David: The Traveling Chef
April 22, 2024Written by Matthew Whitbeck
“Always willing to help out where it is needed…He picks up shifts at the drop of a dime…very intelligent…and knowledgeable in a vast amount of cuisine…”
– Chef Steven Pont
David Beaudoin started his culinary journey at both Fiddlers Seafood Restaurant in Chester and the Griswold Inn in Essex. After graduating with a culinary degree at Grasso Tech, David was in search of a job with consistent hours, pay, and benefits, which, at the time, were unheard of in the food and beverage industry. This brought David to Essex Meadows where his sister, a former server, told him about an open position as a line cook. So, in 2004 David came in and was hired by then-sous chef, Matthew Whitbeck. David quickly became a productive member of the team.
David and his family love to travel and learn about other cultures, especially cuisine. This has introduced David’s palate to experience a variety of unique flavors. He has traveled to Cambodia, Vietnam, Japan, China, Scotland, Ireland, and the Netherlands.
David’s travel opportunities became more frequent when he befriended the famous Chef Martin Yan from Yan Can Cook. Yeng accompanied David and his family on several trips and David has stayed as a personal guest at his home in China. Each time David returned, he brought with him the region’s culinary and cultural knowledge. You can see evidence of this in our ethnically diverse menus and regionally-themed buffets.
In addition to being a wealth of knowledge, David is an author, musician, beer maker, coffee roaster, and most importantly a loving husband and father.
David has been married to his wife Sarah for ten years. Their 9-year-old son Sam was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The diagnosis has been a challenge and a big learning curve for David, but like everything in his life, David has risen to the occasion and has learned everything possible to support his son.
David has learned a great deal of knowledge about special diets and nutritional values in his cooking and culinary experience.
David is always there for his family and co-workers. His collaboration with the other chefs continues to add to the variety and authenticity of the dishes served at our community. When asked what he likes most about Essex Meadows, David responded, “Working here provides me with a creative outlet where my opinion and input matter.” We are grateful for David’s opinions and input, and this is why the “little things” he does make the Food & Beverage Department better at what they do.
