#324 Sam Jett Executive Chef at Audrey - Appalachian Cuisine, Local Sourcing, and Circular Restaurant Systems

In this episode, Michael speaks with chef Sam Jett about building restaurants that serve communities, people, and the planet.

Sam shares how he shifted from a planned healthcare path into cooking, credits McDonald’s for teaching standards and systems, and recounts formative time in Copenhagen kitchens including Relæ and Noma.

After years as Sean Brock’s right-hand leader across multiple brands, Sam took over Audrey and refocused it on Appalachian heritage: removing luxury imported ingredients, tightening sourcing “guardrails,” and adopting a zero-waste mindset.

He describes a network of about 26 regional farms/producers supplying roughly 95% of the menu and a CSA-style budgeting approach where farmers send what they choose, including imperfect crops that the team transforms using the restaurant’s lab.

Sam explains making the economics work through circular “mini-ecosystems” and multiple revenue streams, and emphasizes relationships and trust as the core leadership principle.

Connect with Sam:

https://www.instagram.com/samuel.jett/?hl=en

https://www.audreynashville.com/

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