Renee Kelly's at Caenan Castle

 

Renee Kelly

Renee Kelly

Executive Chef, Renee Kelly's at Caenan Castle

"You've made this a night to be treasured for a lifetime. God bless you and bring you much success in a career that brings such joy to so many!"
- Oleta Adams, popular soul and jazz singer

"Ann's castle setting says it all. She is the queen of cuisine. The food she prepared was some of the best ever paired with our wines."
- Molly Meeker, owner, The Meeker Vineyard, Sonoma, California

The 28-year-old chef whose kitchen is in a castle is creating quite a stir in culinary circles. Chef Renée Kelly has cooked for some of the country's greatest jazz musicians, has gained notoriety throughout the world through her hard work in the kitchen and concept of food. She is a friend and confidant of Michel Escoffier, the great grandson of Auguste Escoffier, the father of modern cooking, and is writing her first cookbook, which she says, will change the way cookbooks are written.

Food and fortress, it seems, are pairing well for the Shawnee, Kansas native.

Approach

Every dish Chef Renée creates is prepared according to a strict code of culinary conduct:

"I use only locally grown, farm-fresh foods, organic if possible," she says. "I never buy in bulk. Each ingredient is purchased for immediate use. And, I cook to please my guests' palettes, not my own."

Creative Process

For Chef Renée, cooking is sensory. "Seeing the colors and breathing in the aromas of fresh ingredients are all the inspiration I need," she says. "From there, I begin to visualize the combinations and construct the recipes."

Honors
  • Invited to the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival 2008 and 2009
  • Voted top 20 in their 20's entrapraneuership program Ingram's Magazine
  • Host of Michel Escoffier 2009
  • Best Small Business Nomination 2009
  • Best Outdoor Wedding Reception 2009 Luxe Awards
  • Invited by Michel Escoffier to be a guest chef on an American Institute of Wine & Food cruise honoring his grandfather, Auguste Escoffier, the father of modern cooking, January 2008
  • Prepared and hosted a sold-out wine dinner spotlighting vintners Charlie and Molly Meeker, owners of The Meeker Vineyard in Sonoma, Calif., spring 2007
  • Chef for jazz musicians, political leaders and top executives at Bayer and Sprint
Books

Chef Renée is writing three cookbooks. One of which is about based around a Cinq concept and food rotation.

Education
  • Culinary arts degree with honors, Art Institute of Houston, Texas, 2002
  • Certified sous-chef, American Culinary Federation, 2007
Experience
  • Chef at Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival
  • Guest Chef at Monterey Bay Aquarium
  • Silverseas Cruise celebrity guest chef with Michel Escoffier January 2008
  • Stagé, The Sagamore, N.Y.
  • Rounds cook, The BALSAMSSM Grand Resort Hotel, Dixville Notch, N.H.
  • Prep cook and garde manager, Sea Pines Resort®, N.C.
  • Extensive regional wine tours of Europe and Napa Valley, Calif.
  • Full-time classical French cuisine internship, River Oaks Country Club, Houston, Texas
Professional Affiliations
  • Certified culinarian, member, American Culinary Federation
  • Member of La Dames Des Escoffier
  • Active board member, American Institute of Wine & Food
Volunteer Work
  • Judging for High School culinary competitions 2009
  • Lakemary Center, since 2002: Donated food, dinners and items for auctions
  • Muscular Dystrophy Association, since 2004: Hosted a lockup; participate in lockups; donated food
  • Sunflower House, A Child Abuse Prevention Center, 2006: Hosted an open house to kick off auction

Sought-after chef. Soon-to-be author. Smart business woman. Chef Renée summons success with the wave of her whisk.