Private Chefs of Martha’s Vineyard

​For those travelers coming to the island for more than a week, one of the most searched and asked for question is, “where can I find a personal or private chef?” Whether it’s a couple arriving on island for the summer looking for someone to create dinner parties with local produce or a family with younger kids that needs the constant support of a chef at home making meals, picnics, and snacks, private chefs are a wealth of knowledge and make any vacation easier and more delicious!
 
If you’re thinking private chefs are just for the rich and famous, think again. Specifically on island, they are a great way to discover the island’s food culture, its farmers, fishermen, and makers because private chefs have deep friendships with them all, as sources for their menus. You’ll taste the freshest greens, the most amazing seafood and fish, and you’ll dine knowing you are supporting the island in more ways than one.
 
Below we have listed the top personal and private chefs on island - in no particular order. Each brings something tasty to your table.

​Shane Take of Premier Chef Services

Shane Tank | Photo by Stacey Rupuolo

Before residing on Martha’s Vineyard, Shane’s culinary career spanned over a decade and includes positions in top restaurants in Vail CO, extensive studies overseas in Brugge, Belgium and a Bachelor’s degree in food service management from Johnson and Wales University in Denver, CO.
 
Items you can find in Shane’s menus:

• Pan Seared Chicken Breasts with Summer Mushroom Cream Sauce
• Grilled Filet Mignon with Burgundy Foie Gras Butter or Farm Herb & Truffle Butter
• Striped Bass with Peruvian Chimichurri

​Gavin Smith of Food Minded Fellow

Gavin Smith | Photo by Mila Lowe

"A washashore hailing from Upstate New York, Chef Smith moved to Martha’s Vineyard after living in Atlanta. He has worked in almost all positions a restaurant has to offer. So when you hire his private-chef services, you’re not only hiring a chef, but a menu developer, personal shopper, farmer, cook, dishwasher, and server all in one. Plans to grow his team are in the works, but for now, it’s a one-man show that thrives on multitasking." - via Marnely Murray for the Martha's Vineyard Times
 
Items you can find in Gavin’s menus:

• Kale Salad, morning glory farm kale, asparagus, feta, bacon
• Braised Lamb Shank, braised lamb shank, farro, microgreens
• Sea Scallop, rhubarb beurre blanc, morning glory farm pea tendrils

​Jan Buhrman of Kitchen Porch Catering

Jan Burhman | Photo by Eli Dagostino

Jan Buhrman, M.S. Ed., has been cooking delicious, locally sourced meals on Martha’s Vineyard for over twenty five years.  She combines her passion for food with a love of teaching to enhance people’s understanding of their food through farm tours, cooking classes, and nutritional workshops.  All programs are designed to connect people with local food systems.
 
Items you can find in Jan’s menus:

• Allen Farm Lamb Kebabs with Fresh Figs and Onions
• Wild Grain and Couscous with Charmoula
• Heirloom Tomatoes with house-made Feta and Oregano Dressing
• House-made Toasted Pita Breads

​Chef Peter Lodi of Blue Crab Kitchen

Peter Lodi | Photo by Blue Crab Kitchen

Peter creates the food, and together with his wife, Whitney, Blue Crab Kitchen creates memorable evenings and events focused on exceptional food. The duo has been serving up delicious meals in private homes and weddings since 2010, and they are slated to open a small take-out shop in Vineyard Haven this year.
 
Items you can find in Peter’s menu:

• Homemade pasta with local clams
• Oysters Rockefeller
• Conch Fritters
• Mexican street corn
• Locally Smoked Bluefish Pâté topped with dill frond and crispy capers
• Pan-seared steak with rosemary and garlic compound butter

​​Spring Sheldon of Sea and Spoon Kitchen

Photo: Spring Sheldon

Spring Sheldon is a Martha's Vineyard-based freelance chef, and is a graduate of Boston University gastronomy program, where she studied with Chef Jacque Pepin. She has worked extensively in some of Boston's award-winning restaurants and has been featured in The Boston Globe.
 
Items you can find in Spring’s menus:

• ​Seared black bass, salsa verde
• Mustard marinated flank steak, green onion relish
• Blistered shishito peppers, MV sea salt
• Shallot seared corn, lime, cilantro
• Peaches and Burrata, pistachio

Catherine Walthers of Catherine Walthers

Catherine Walthers | Photo by Laura Roosevelt

Catherine brings her experience as an author of 4 popular cookbooks and more than a dozen years of cooking as a private chef for families in the Boston area and on Martha’s Vineyard. Her area of expertise is creating healthy meals that taste delicious, first and foremost. She graduated from the Natural Gourmet Cooking School, a vegetarian and health-based school in New York City, so vegetarian or vegan meals are also a specialty.
 
Items you can find in Catherine’s menus:

• Martha’s Vineyard Bay Scallops with basil sauce
• Mashed Butternut Squash
• Roasted Beet Salad
• Fresh Spring Rolls with dipping sauce
• Chicken Stir fry with broccoli, carrots, napa cabbage, and red pepper (Spicy ginger sauce)
• Black Rice Cakes

​No matter your needs, a one-time special dinner party or an everyday meal kind of thing, a private chef on Martha’s Vineyard is just the way to treat yourself!