Chef Andrew Graham Hunter

 
Andrew Hunter has worked in the foodservice industry for more than 20 years. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, he moved to San Francisco to expand his culinary horizons. With this goal in mind, he has held a broad range of culinary positions in research & development, restaurant operations, e-commerce and marketing.

Upon his arrival in San Francisco, Andrew worked as a chef at the China Moon Café for owner Barbara Tropp and her award-winning Chinese cuisine. At the same time, he started Cast Iron, a full-service catering and events company, which specialized in events for 100 people or less.

 
Andrew sold his catering business and accepted a position as the manager of weekend programs for the California Culinary Academy. In this capacity, he managed the operations of the weekend professional and consumer culinary arts programs. Additionally, he directed contract training and product development for the Academy’s corporate clients.

Following his tenure at the Academy, Andrew moved to Louisville to direct a multi-faceted educational program for the International Association of Culinary Professionals. He was responsible for the planning and operations of international conferences and culinary events.

Andrew was recruited back to the Bay Area by webvan.com, an Internet grocer, to develop and implement a home meal replacement program and an online culinary magazine. After Webvan closed it doors, Darden Restaurants recruited Andrew to manage the culinary operations for the 525-unit Olive Garden. At the Olive Garden, Andrew was responsible for operations engineering, high-impact training, menu pipeline development and equipment implementation.

Currently, Andrew is the principal of Recipe Development and Merchandising Solutions; a consultancy focused on developing foodservice systems, recipes and merchandising solutions for food and beverage companies. His client lists include Starbucks, L 7 Restaurant Group, Kikkoman, Simplot, National Cattleman’s Beef Association, National Potato Board, Weber Grills, Brown-Forman Corporation and the New Zealand Green Lip Mussel Association. He is also a regular contributor to Santé, a magazine for restaurant professionals.

Andrew holds an AOS from the Culinary Institute of America, a BA in humanities and culinary history from New College of California and an MA in museum studies from San Francisco State University. He lives with his wife and son in San Francisco.