Chef Kip Poole’s Vision Blossoms with Community Support for the Crop Foundation and Yorkie’s VB
FREE AND OPEN TO ALL. Please RSVP to save your seat and for food count. FREE Parking at Hearth 605 Virginia Beach Boulevard across the street from The Garage VB event space at 1703 Mediterranean Avenue.
Light refreshments provided– bring your own reusable mug for coffee. Come network with your creative community. This event is supported in part by grants to the ViBe Creative District nonprofit the Virginia Beach Arts & Humanities Commission.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
From washing meatloaf pans to working with celebrity chefs, Chef Kip Poole’s 30-year culinary career has been centered on creating community. The notion that good food could bring people together began when he was a kid, traveling and dining with his dad and attempting to recreate those memorable meals for his family at home in Portsmouth, Virginia
What started as a hobby became a passion and, ultimately, a goal. After working in restaurants throughout high school, Kip earned his degree from Virginia Tech; interned at Walt Disney World, an experience that showed him the importance of exceptional hospitality; and served as the Kids Club Director at Philadelphia Country Club, where he saw just how much kids enjoyed real, good food.
In 2004, Kip joined Xavier Teixdo, the former president of the National Restaurant Association, at Harry’s Savoy Grill, where he learned the ropes of the restaurant business first-hand. He would go on to help open Big Easy Oyster Bar in Norfolk, Va. in 2008.
Inspired by his early experience working with kids, Kip returned to college with the conviction to teach and inspire a new generation of culinary enthusiasts. He received his Master’s in Education from Wilmington University in 2011. During this time, Kip also notably competed in the Food Network’s acclaimed show, “Guy’s Grocery Games,” hosted by Guy Fieri; worked in acclaimed restaurants; and served as the Executive Chef of Obis One, an inventive food specialty and farm.
In 2014, Kip founded The CROP Foundation (“CROP”), addressing the need of many of his students, for mentorship and direction. Over the past decade, Kip’s beloved nonprofit has provided hundreds of students with the opportunity to train and work in real-world kitchens and restaurant environments.
With a passion for inspiring young culinary leaders and supporting all things local, Kip also served as Executive Chef for the Virginia Beach City Public Schools scratch-cooking program before partnering with local farm-to-table restaurant, Commune, as Executive Chef of CommuneXCROP.
In 2022, Kip was one of three Virginia-based chefs to appear on HBO Max’s “The Big Brunch,” a reality culinary competition executive-produced by Emmy award-winning actor, producer and creator Dan Levy. It was this experience that served as the impetus to open Yorkie’s in 2024. The modern deli market combines convenience, sustainability and community engagement, all while serving as a stage for CROP students, who serve as cooks and servers at the restaurant.
When he’s not cooking, dreaming or helping create opportunities for the community, Kip enjoys traveling and spending time outdoors with his wife Kristin, his daughter Grace and two dogs, Turtle and Bailey.
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