Blake Spalding

The Path

Working as a caterer on the river in the Grand Canyon until 1999 gave Blake Spalding a hard lesson in scale, place, and constraint. In that setting, food had to hold up against remoteness and terrain; the work was shaped by the landscape as much as by the menu. That early exposure to elemental conditions became part of the craft that would follow. Since 1999, Hell's Backbone Grill & Farm has been the long-running base for Blake Spalding's work as chef and owner. In Boulder, Utah, the restaurant is tied to its setting rather than placed over it, and that relationship has defined the role: stewardship of a kitchen, a farm, and a way of working that reads the surrounding land as part of the job.

The Work Today

In Boulder, Utah, the kitchen is run with a clear purpose that reaches past service. Blake says, “To give people work that has meaning, where they feel like they're part of something larger. We have a mission that doesn't have much to do with making money.” The focus is not scale for its own sake, but work that gives staff a defined place in the operation. Buddhist principles shape the restaurant's daily rhythm, linking the kitchen to sustainability, environmental ethics, and community responsibility. Blake Spalding's leadership sits inside that framework, where hospitality is treated as part of a broader obligation to land, labor, and the people who come to the table.

In Their Words “To give people work that has meaning, where they feel like they're part of something larger. We have a mission that doesn't have much to do with making money.” “Our restaurant operates following Buddhist principles, with a commitment to sustainability, environmental ethics, and community responsibility.”

Acclaim

Blake's honors include James Beard Foundation Awards semifinalist (Outstanding Restaurant), James Beard Foundation Awards finalist, and James Beard Foundation Awards semifinalist (2017).