Farm to Table | Matthew Kern | TEDxButterfish Cove

Chef Matthew Kern shares his career path from first restaurant job as a teenager to leading the kitchen at One Coastal in Coastal Delaware. He describes his focus on farm-to-table cooking, hyper-seasonal local ingredients, and reducing food waste. The talk also explores his philosophy of leaving room for life to happen and living with less. Kern grew up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and has spent 16 years in Coastal Delaware. As One Coastal's Executive Chef and Owner for the past five years, he works closely with local farmers. The talk was given at an independently organized TEDx event.

• Career path from dishwasher to executive chef and owner
• Farm-to-table cooking with local farmers and seasonal ingredients
• Reducing food waste and connecting people to food stories
• Philosophy of simplicity and living with less

Matthew Kern reflects on his career journey as a chef, from starting as a dishwasher to discovering a passion for fine dining, sustainability, and farm-to-table cooking. Inspired by local farmers and the importance of reducing food waste, he shares how using ingredients thoughtfully can reconnect us to our communities and the stories behind what we eat. Through his philosophy to “leave room for life to happen,” Matthew encourages us to embrace simplicity, find purpose in what we do, and discover peace in learning to live with less. Raised in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Matt grew up surrounded by food- from homemade pasta, to big family dinners, his passion for food started at an early age and eventually led to his first restaurant job at age 14. Having spent the last 16 years in Coastal Delaware, he has been One Coastal’s Executive Chef and Owner for the past 5 years, leading our kitchen with passion, and a true love of what he is doing. Through his extensive connections with local farmers, Matt is able to gather and produce beautiful food for One Coastal, that is hyper-seasonal and locally sourced. From oysters to soft shells, Chef is thrilled by unique ingredients that allow him to tell a humble story. Matt was Delaware’s first ever Finalist for “Best Chef Mid-Atlantic “ for the James Beard Foundation, and a semifinalist in 2019-2020. When not at the restaurant, Chef usually spends his time hanging out with his adorable Wife & Children, or fly fishing some secret Delaware “Honey Hole” for local fish. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx