Chef Jeff Chapman

About

Chef Jeff is a 4-time VA Chili Cook-Off Champion, has owned a bagel shop and private event catering company, and has interned at the Television Food Network during its first year of operation.

After completing his BA in Hospitality Management, Jeff went on to work for the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) department of the U.S. Navy where he managed officer and enlisted clubs in Virginia Beach, Rota, Spain, and Silverdale, Washington. After many years, Jeff left to pursue his love of cooking.

After graduating from culinary school, Jeff accepted a full-time position at the Television Food Network’s test kitchens. Eventually, he moved to North Carolina where he opened his first food establishment, which he sold seven years later, and moved to Florida to begin his teaching career at The Art Institute of Tampa.

While teaching full-time, Chef Jeff went back to school and earned his MBA with a concentration in Finance, and eventually moved with his family to Richmond, Virginia, where he continued to teach at Virginia State University, specializing in both culinary courses and culinary cost control and finance.

Prior to joining Escoffier in October of 2020, Jeff served as the Program Director for the culinary and hospitality schools at Stratford University in Virginia.