Meet Jo Seddon

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jo Seddon.

Hi Jo, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Hi! Thank you so much for asking!

Like many people who end up in a career they love, the journey towards opening Jo’s Kitchen and becoming a chef wasn’t a straight line journey.

My first career was in medicine where I worked as a physician specialising in Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, but while I loved so many aspects of my job, I felt that my creativity was totally stifled. I had often wondered about cooking and had always cooked at home and been passionate about good food, but finally in 2014, I took the plunge and left my medical career for culinary school. I have never looked back.

After culinary school, I worked in a few Michelin-starred restaurants in London, including the iconic River Cafe, which played a huge part in shaping my culinary ethos and the way that I cook now. After moving to Minnesota in 2016, I was part of the team that opened Bellecour in Wayzata, and subsequently worked on and off for Gavin Kaysen for the following 3 years before starting my own business. At the time that the pandemic hit, I was already looking for way to branch out on my own, but covid sort of catapulted me in to this business!

The cornerstone of my current business is a private chef-style meal delivery service. Every week I publish a new menu online and my customers order their meals for the following week. These meals are typically delivered on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons. I specialise in vegetable focused European and Middle Eastern cuisine with a strong emphasis on organic produce and grass-fed & organic meats. In addition to the weekly meals, we cook bespoke dinners parties and small cocktail events.

I am also working on a collaboration with the very wonderful Sovereign Estate Winery, where I will be opening a pop-up patio restaurant during the summer months this year.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
You know, starting a business and growing it is never a smooth road or takes a straight path. This business was born in the pandemic, so like so many others, we have struggled with staffing, covid protocols, produce availability and supply line issues. However, I feel incredibly lucky as my business has grown organically and solely by word of mouth to be a successful little enterprise.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Cooking and understanding how to use produce well is such a gift and I feel so lucky that I grew up in a home where my mother cooked everyday. Even now, she is one of the best cooks I know and a constant inspiration to me.

I feel that my European training and taste give my food a flavor that you rarely find in Minnesota, as I try to keep my menus as authentic as possible, using the best possible ingredients. This, simple, seasonal, unfussy way of cooking has come my trademark.

Where I feel my talents shine best is at the intersection of cooking and hospitality. I love cooking and hosting small dinners; talking an interested foodie group through a menu; explaining the provenance of a dish or why certain ingredients are used. Watching a group of friends or diners enjoying a meal, sharing time, laughter and food is one of the best feelings.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I am totally OCD in the kitchen! I can’t stand any type of mess and can’t even start to work when the kitchen is unclean. It’s sometimes a hindrance!

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.joseddon.com
• Instagram: @chefjoseddon
• Other: https://www.sovereignestatewine.com/admissions/p/primevera-wine-paired-dinners