Meet Kevin Jones

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kevin Jones a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kevin, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

Over the years the source of my purpose in life has changed, but ultimately has similar seeds along the way. Growing up I was raised in a very low income single parent household. We didn’t have much, I didn’t have my own bedroom and we mostly ate boiled hot dogs for dinner. I have a memory of crying at the dinner table because I wanted to eat something else. I ate a lot of processed foods that, while engineered to be addictive, became a deeply unpleasant reminder of what I didn’t have.
My parents were always busy and stressed and the response I got was “Learn how to make dinner yourself.” So I did.
I started by watching the Food Network and trying recipes at my grandma’s house (she usually could afford the ingredients.) and eventually found myself making the family meals.
By the time I was old enough to work I began working in a restaurant and planned to go to culinary school. Something about the ability to pull myself up in the industry really spoke to me.
Later in my career I learned the importance and value of using my responsibility as a chef to support small-scale local food systems. Realizing if I buy $200 of produce a week from a farmer, that gets them over $10,000 a year. When our small scale farming economy is on a constant precipice, I think about this and realize I’m not just making food, I’m not just operating a restaurant, I’m contributing to my community and the greater good, and that’s where I find my purpose these days.
Oftentimes I find myself seeking more: the world needs a lot of fixing. Sometimes I feel so small in it all. Remembering what I can do and finding joy through it is what I have to keep me going.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am currently the Executive Chef of Moonshot Tavern in Portland, Oregon. A tavern that specializes in southern style cooking utilizing farm fresh Oregon ingredients. We opened in April of this year and it has been a whirlwind since. We just started our brunch program and are looking to build a raised patio for outdoor seating by the end of this year.
Moonshot is a low key place that serves delicious food and creative cocktails. The bartenders co-own the space and we have worked together as a team to make a menu reflective of our Oregonian and southern roots.
I, myself am originally from Atlanta, Georgia and when my parents split they went to Birmingham and Seattle, respectively, where I would learn the bounty of PNW ingredients and the beauty of southern cooking.
I have spent most of my career studying who I think are the greats; Edna Lewis, Paul Prudhomme, Alice Waters and it has instilled in me a love for simple foods. The important part is the quality ingredients. Always.
In my personal life I have been really focused on my physical health and building a personal support network.
5 years ago I quit drugs and alcohol & I haven’t looked back since. My life since getting sober feels so colorful, I have so much I want to do. I’m going out of the country for the first time in my life in a week actually, to Japan, a dream I’ve had since I was a kid.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Be teachable. Admit when you are wrong and fix it. Do not dwell or spiral into negative self talk. Being able to find your errors, fix them and move forward with grace is a skill I wish I learned 20 years ago- but I’m happy to have it now.

Improvise. It’s the end product that counts. How messy the equation was to get there doesn’t matter (unless it’s an open kitchen.)

Be curious, find joy, stay in love with what you do. It’s difficult at times when the delivery is three hours late, two employees called in sick and your sous chef isn’t answering his phone. Sometimes you have a soul crushing day that makes you wonder why you do this at all. Operating restaurants is hard. When you take on the responsibilities of upper management at times it can feel like the walls are caving in around you. You have to find ways to bring joy and excitement. I am always finding new recipes and techniques, talking with farmers and ranchers about new produce or cuts of meat they are offering. My sous and I are constantly workshopping and brainstorming. It’s the joy of being busy and still finding reasons to move forward.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

When Things Fall Apart by Pena Chödrön. A spiritual guide through difficult times is the best outside help I have sought.
Through many years of difficulties, personal and professional, I have found myself holding on fiercely to wrongs I have incurred, I’ve found myself deeply affected by things out of my control. This book has helped me cope, create strategies to overcome rumination & frustration so I can focus and move forward. Much of my past life I spent focused backward, it was like I was stuck in a movie theatre watching my old life- all the bad things I did or experienced. Now I try my best to look inward and forward. Things don’t go my way. Sometimes the world feels severely unfixable and I can’t do anything right. And that’s the way life goes. Those feelings pass and I keep moving.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Kevin_who_cooks

Image Credits

Will Blunt
Allison Fordham