ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Embassy Suites by Hilton Asheville Downtown, opening in winter 2024, has appointed Jeffrey Stanford as its executive chef and Brian Sherwood as its director of food and beverage.
Stanford brings nearly two decades of culinary experience and will lead the property’s onsite banquets, catering, and restaurant teams at Soprana and E’Terie. Sherwood brings more than 26 years of hospitality experience in the luxury hotel market to the property where he will oversee food and beverage operations for both restaurants, as well as additional culinary responsibilities, including room service, daily made-to-order breakfast, and the nightly evening reception.
“We are delighted to welcome Jeffrey and Brian to the downtown Asheville Embassy Suites team,” says Rohit Radhakrishnan, general manager of Embassy Suites by Hilton Asheville Downtown. “Their individual approaches to culinary service and proven leadership will be instrumental in bringing new dining experiences and elevated culinary offerings to our guests.”
Before this role, Stanford was the executive chef for The Biltmore Company, an 8,000-acre estate in Asheville, where he oversaw Stable Café, The Biltmore House, and Gardens, a la carte restaurant and banquets.
Prior to Biltmore, Stanford’s experience also includes chef de partie at the Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, where he worked with James Beard Award-winning Chef Tory McPhail, as well as chef de cuisine at an oceanfront resort in Amelia Island, Fla., and has held several other culinary positions.
Before joining the Embassy Suites by Hilton Asheville Downtown team, Sherwood held positions of both the director of food and beverage and director of hotel operations at Inn on Biltmore Estate in Asheville, where he was directly responsible for all divisions in the hotel, including food and beverage, culinary, front desk, housekeeping, engineering, security, floral department, and guest services. Previously, Sherwood was the assistant director of food and beverage at The Langham Huntington and the food and beverage manager at the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel & Spa, both in Pasadena, Calif., among several other positions.
The newly constructed hotel features 188 guest rooms and more than 7,000 square feet of new event space.
