Chef Irena Jensen

I’m a recently graduated chef with a Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts from the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute (CJFCI) in southern Louisiana. During my time there, I gained an understanding of culinary arts and the regional Cajun-Creole cuisine. This summer I completed a 10 week study abroad at Institut Lyfe, a French Culinary school, where I worked in a fine dining restaurant as well as grew my French cooking, baking, and pastry techniques in lab courses. Through internships across the Appalachian region, The Speckled Trout - a local Contemporary American restaurant, and the Biltmore Estate, I’ve gotten to experience working in foodservice as a line cook in different settings and event catering. These internships have provided me with an appreciation for high country fare allowing me to add my personal culinary style and expertise into this industry.