Chef Peter Jackson

Alice Waters was just starting to cook with California’s finest ingredients at Chez Panisse, Alfred Peet was pioneering the “first wave” coffee movement by expertly roasting carefully selected arabica beans in his small copper roaster at Peet’s and the Cheese Board was introducing Europe’s finest cheeses to the the Bay Area. These legendary culinary landmarks were part of the neighborhood where I grew up, Berkeley’s now world famous Gourmet Ghetto. Peter recalls: “I would walk down the street with my parents and we would stop

to check out the menu at Chez Panisse. Growing up, I assumed all restaurants used the best local, organic ingredients. That’s just what I grew up with”.

Having been a foodie from childhood, naturally I was drawn to cooking. After training under chef Ken Wolfe at Contra Costa College in San Pablo, California, i worked with many of the Bay Area’s best chefs, including Mark Miller, Jeremiah Tower, Mark Franz and Bradley Ogden.

I also launched three successful businesses, Canvas Restaurant, Canvasunderground (a groundbreaking pop-up supper club) and Boucherie Meats.

Most recently I been a private chef. Working for a family of 5 in Kensington, and I am currently executive chef at the acclaimed Italian restaurant Oliveto in Oakland, California.