Meet PCG Member – James Patterson: Keepin’ it Local in the Triad
If ya can’t take the yardwork, just stay in the kitchen.
No, that is not a real saying, but it’s certainly something PCG Professional Member James Patterson keeps in mind as he reflects on his beginnings as a chef.
“As a joke, I’ve always said that at a young age, working in the kitchen with my mom kept me out of working in the yard with my dad,” he said.
After spending time with his mother learning the ropes in his hometown of Wilmington, North Carolina, Patterson started working his way up in restaurants from dishwasher to line cook. He quickly discovered his passion for the “heart of the house” as he continued in the industry throughout college.
Eventually, he moved to Charleston, South Carolina, where he worked with Hospitality Management Group, Inc. for several years. But North Carolina called him home, so he made the move to the Raleigh/Durham area where he cooked with several top chefs and bakers in the area.
In 2004, Patterson met John McConnell, and the rest is history. He joined the McConnell Golf team in 2005 when only one property existed under the name. Today, there are 14 properties, and Patterson’s home base is Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina.
In 2015, Patterson took on the role of Executive Chef at Sedgefield and Corporate Executive Chef of the company. The position keeps him busy traveling to places like Raleigh, Greenville, Wilmington, Myrtle Beach, and Pawley’s Island.
Corporate responsibilities include financial work, maintaining relationships with vendors and purveyors, and dealing with daily affairs, but Patterson still finds himself in the kitchen quite often. Throughout it all, his support for local farmers and vendors never wavers.
“The exciting thing for me is I’m always in the kitchen for all of our wine dinners and special events and banquets and weddings,” he said.
That same year, Patterson discovered the Piedmont Culinary Guild and quickly took interest.
“I’m always looking to see what’s going on and following chefs throughout the Carolinas and beyond,” he said. “I try to see what’s going on locally. I saw there was a symposium in Charlotte. I signed myself and my sous chef up. After that, I ended up joining.”
Chef Patterson was one of the first members of the PCG Triad Sister Guild led by Chef Travis Myers. Since the formation, Patterson and team have hosted two meetups at Sedgefield: a whole-hog breakdown with master butcher Craig Deihl and a roundtable with local chefs.
“I’ve had the fortune to know JP for a while now,” said Myers. “He is a great father, husband and chef. A culinary leader in Greensboro who isn’t afraid to reach out to folks outside of his community to connect, develop friendships and lead charity events.”
Patterson’s favorite aspects of his PCG membership are the relationships he has been fortunate to form, from “friendships and comradery” to “the ability to pick up the phone and talk to them or to work through ideas.”
He admits it can be difficult for restaurants and chefs to partner with local farmers on one’s own and that PCG bridges that gap.
“One of the cool things from the very beginning was that everything was meant for professionals in the industry to share and network whether they were a farmer or a chef,” he said. “It gets everyone on an equal playing field.”
Patterson has also given back to PCG by being a participant at the 2018 and 2019 Farm-to-Fork Picnics held at Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens in Belmont, NC. There, he has partnered with PCG Farmer Members Lee Menius of Wild Turkey Farm (2018) and Gina Decker of Sharon Hill Farm (2019).
Patterson sources local for his kitchens and has partnerships with many farmers including with Fair Share Farm in Pfafftown, North Carolina.
“Chef JP is always one of the first in line to support local growers and purveyors through purchases for his own club or by connecting vendors with his personal regional contacts,” said PCG members Emma Hendel and Elliot Seldner of Fair Share. “He is always up for a quick chat to check in and loves to find unique flavors and visual accents to keep his weekly ‘grape nuts’ dinners engaging for his more adventurous members. We provide JP with micro greens and edible flowers almost every week of the year.”
Unsurprisingly, the pandemic has shifted the way things operate for Chef Patterson and his properties. When COVID-19 hit, he took action by selling produce boxes, local bread, butcher shop boxes, family-style meals, and take-and-bake dishes in addition to takeout dinner service.
“The most successful thing we did was invite local food trucks every Sunday and Monday night.”
This pivot allowed members to continuously have safe, nearby dining options every night of the week, as the club’s kitchen is closed Sunday and Monday nights, while still giving the club staff a break. The club continues to offer these additions but is now open for dine-in during dinner Thursday-Saturday.
Post-pandemic, Chef Patterson knows the industry will see a lot of changes and wants to continue to spread the word about the Piedmont Culinary Guild.
He “wants to see more chefs get involved and understand the impact they have on the local community” and “help keep dollars in the area.”
One idea is possibly seeing a “PCG day” at a local farmer’s market where PCG members converse with consumers and farmers alike to thank them for buying local and to educate all on the benefits of the Guild.
No matter what the future holds, one thing’s for sure: Patterson will continue to support his community and be a champion for all things local.
Profile written by Allie Papajohn