CHELSEA, MA – Kettle Cuisine has announced the promotion of Chef Joseph Ascoli to Corporate Executive Chef. Chef Joseph began working with Kettle Cuisine in 2008 as Corporate Chef and brings nearly 20 years of unique culinary experience with him to this new role.
Chef Joseph engaged in cooking at an early age by helping his mother prepare daily meals for a family of eight. The culinary values, which were instilled at childhood, of fresh, local, communal fare shaped his approach to cooking as he ventured through all segments of the restaurant industry. During his unique journey, Chef Joseph received degrees in Zoology and Entomology, satisfying the research scientist in him. He then circled back to his true passion by completing a culinary degree, with honors, from the famed Johnson & Wales University.
In addition to a number of top chef positions in Rhode Island, Chef Joseph served as Executive Chef at the Camden Harbour Inn in Maine, a fine dining restaurant specializing in regional cuisine with locally grown ingredients and seasonal menus. From there he refined his new product development skills at The Chef Services Group, a local consulting firm, and then at a regional fast casual restaurant chain, where he served as Corporate Chef between 2000 and 2008.
Chef Joseph was destined to make his mark at a responsible company like Kettle Cuisine, “When I came to Kettle Cuisine in 2008, I knew immediately that it was a perfect fit and that I was beginning on the road to my dream job. I am passionate about cooking with real food, continuous innovation and having peace of mind knowing that I am serving people the best tasting, most well balanced meals possible. And, I get all that at Kettle Cuisine.”
Chef Joseph had the privilege, for four years, of working shoulder to shoulder with Kettle Cuisine’s legendary Executive Chef Volker Frick and learning the nuances of Kettle Cuisine’s long standing and unwavering core philosophy of handcrafting soups using traditional, artisan methods. Together this extensive training and nearly 20 years of culinary experience uniquely position Chef Joseph to lead Kettle Cuisine into the future. Chef Frick will be semi-retiring and taking on the new title of Emeritus Executive Chef. While in a reduced capacity, Chef Frick will continue to play an active role in many new product development and continuous improvement initiatives.
Kettle Cuisine’s Vice President of Marketing, Levon Kurkjian, is very excited about the future, “Chef Joseph has the rare skill set that is critical for helping us meet the evolving needs of our customers. He is masterful in creating irresistible recipes but because of his extensive experience as a restaurateur he is able to create soups that not only taste great but that also appeal to consumers. Chef Joseph is an invaluable asset to us and to our customers and we are all thrilled about his promotion.”
ABOUT KETTLE CUISINE: Based in Chelsea, Mass., Kettle Cuisine is at the forefront of a growing demand for exceptional tasting real food that satisfies everyday wellness lifestyles. For over 25 years, Kettle Cuisine has handcrafted soups, chilis, chowders and stews by using the finest quality, all natural ingredients and classical small batch, artisan cooking techniques. Kettle Cuisine consistently delivers top-quality soups with no artificial ingredients to restaurateurs, supermarket delis and consumer. Visit www.kettlecuisine.com for additional information. http://www.kettlecuisine.com
Source: Kettle Cuisine