BEN BEBENROTH
CHEF, FARMER, FOUNDER
Trained at Johnson and Wales University, Charleston, Chef Ben Bebenroth graduated in the top ten of his class and won the school’s national Taste Down Under cooking competition in 2004. He was rewarded with a 5-week trip to Australia, where he traveled with a French Master Chef to tour the country’s best restaurants and cook for national dignitaries along the way.
In early 2006, after spending some time in Northeast Ohio’s top kitchens, Bebenroth founded Spice of Life Catering Co. (now Spice Catering Co.) with a passionate commitment to source quality, seasonal ingredients from the region’s best partners.
In 2012, as distribution systems between regional farms and restaurants became more efficient, Bebenroth opened the popular Cleveland restaurant, Spice Kitchen + Bar. In 2014, he acquired Spice Acres, a 13-acre Countryside Conservancy farm in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, to grow foods for catering clientele and restaurant guests. In 2016, he and his wife, Jackie, established a non-profit organization, Spice Field Kitchen, that offers education and outreach to students and individuals who seek to learn more about farming and cooking.
Ben has spent most of his decade-long career forging relationships with local producers in order to understand how to balance consumer demand with seasonal offerings. This knowledge, combined with his award-winning culinary talents and farming experience, make him one of the most sought-after local food authorities in Northeast Ohio.
JONATHAN BENNETT
CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER
Jonathan “JB” joined Spice Hospitality Group as Chief Culinary Officer in October 2020. His professional chops are well known through his time as Vice President and Executive Chef of Red Restaurant Group and Director of Concept Development at the Hyde Park Restaurant Group.
Born and raised on a working farm in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, JB began cooking first out of necessity as the child of parents who worked long and late hours and then, out of a rapidly growing interest in cuisine. He got his first taste of the restaurant industry at age 13 and by 16, he was working in the kitchen of a fine Pinehurst area country club. JB attended the acclaimed Culinary Institute of America for his formal culinary education and brought his mastery of classic techniques and preparations with him when he landed in Cleveland in 1997, marking the start of what would become a lasting impact on the local restaurant community.
Bennett brings a to-the-gram precision to menu development and a depth of industry knowledge that could only come from opening seventeen restaurants in his career. He has become the ‘glue’ of the Spice leadership team as it has navigated major growth, guiding decisions with both data and experiential wisdom and offering levity with his gift of song. JB truly understands hospitality in all its facets and leads his team by empowering their best.
JESS EDMONDS
CATERING DIRECTOR + PARTNER, SPICE CATERING CO.
Jess Edmonds has nearly two decades of experience in the food and beverage industry, honing her service talents in high-traffic Cleveland hot spots before joining Spice Catering Co. in 2008. After graduating from Cleveland State with a focus in PR and marketing in 2005, she blended her textbook knowledge with acquired hospitality skills to plan weddings, benefits, and farm dinners for parties of up to 500. In 2015, she moved into the Catering Director role and manages an incredible team of Event Planners that create exceptional dining experiences all over town. In addition, she lends her hand to general operations of The Spice Companies, planning the annual Plated Landscape Calendar and fostering business relationships throughout Cleveland {the best city in the world, as far as she’s concerned!}. She spends her free time with her husband, Brian and daughter, Hazel Dae…preferably in the flower field at Spice Acres.
STEVEN BAKER
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, SPICE FIELD KITCHEN
Steven Baker, or “Bakes” as he is known, is the longest serving member on the Spice Team. Steve is a licensed educator with more than fifteen years of experience as a classroom teacher and administrator. Steve wears many hats here at Spice as Secretary of the Board of Advisors, investor, farmer’s market “Burrito Guy”, farm worker and the occasional kitchen hand for catering events. When the time came in 2018 to formally launch our 501(c)3 nonprofit, Spice Field Kitchen, Steve’s background and commitment to the family of Spice brands made him the ideal candidate for this leadership position. Steve is excited and honored by the opportunity to apply his professional experience to expand Spice’s impact and mission by cultivating agricultural and culinary connections to our community and our local food systems through field-based education.
NATALIE BLAKE EXECUTIVE CHEF
Natalie Blake hails from Lexington KY and holds a degree in culinary arts from Sullivan University. She is a certified Personal Chef and a CIA level II Professional Chef. Natalie also served 4 years in the United States Navy.
With classical French cuisine training and southern roots, her approach to food is comforting and refined. Never afraid of a challenge, at age twenty-two Natalie was on Season 9 of the national TV reality show Hell’s Kitchen, where she was able to work and learn from Chef Gordon Ramsey. In 2021, she appeared on – and won! – Food Network’s Supermarket Stakeout. With expertise in everything from running her own restaurant, managing multi-unit restaurants and catering facilities, to crafting meals for professional sports teams and owners, Natalie not only prides herself on her skills in the kitchen, but also her nurturing attitude towards her staff, believing that every person she encounters gives her an opportunity to elicit positive change.