Bonnie Moore

The Climb

Training at Boston University and Johnson & Wales University led Bonnie Moore into line work as a pizza cook, where speed, timing, and service discipline became the foundation. From there, she moved through kitchens that expanded her scope in measured steps: Sous Chef at Inn at Little Washington, then a role on the development team at Willowsford, where the work shifted from execution to creation. She later served as Sous Chef of the Main House at Blackberry Farm (2015–2019), then head of the Main House kitchen at Blackberry Farm (2019–2021), taking on a larger command of the room and its daily rhythm. That path reads as accumulation rather than reinvention. Each post added a layer to her approach, and each kitchen sharpened the same practical skill set. Alongside restaurant service, Moore has maintained a parallel focus on food education and access. She is founding board member and Executive Director of Real Food for Kids (since 2010), co-founder of Real Food for Kids' Chefs Feeding Families program (since 2020), and chef advisor of Virginia Department of Education School Nutrition Services. Since 2021, she has also served as Executive Chef of Blackberry Mountain.

Today

At Blackberry Mountain, Bonnie Moore’s cooking stays close to the morning table and the needs of the guest in front of her. Breakfast is handled with the same control and attention as any other service, with dishes shaped to match different kinds of days. As she puts it: “I like to offer my guests a range of menu items that will support the kind of day they want to enjoy when they leave the table, whether it’s active and adventurous or relaxing and leisurely.” That approach gives the menu its logic. Breakfast is not treated as a formality before the day begins, but as the first decision a guest makes about how they want to move through it. At Blackberry Mountain, that matters: the plate has to meet the pace of the place, and Moore’s work is built for that brief.

Signature

Bonnie's signature dishes include Honey and Orange Marmalade and Honey Thyme Brebis and Pear Toast. The pair points to the register Moore works in at breakfast: familiar ingredients, arranged with restraint, and pushed toward clarity rather than excess.

In Their Words “I love building dishes around the earthy, Winter ingredients in the Garden. Kale, bitter greens, collards and root vegetables are fun to experiment with and provide a true taste of the season.” “I like to offer my guests a range of menu items that will support the kind of day they want to enjoy when they leave the table, whether it’s active and adventurous or relaxing and leisurely.”

Recognition

Moore’s work is anchored in seasonal cooking, especially the grounded flavors of winter produce. Her own language is plain and specific: “I love building dishes around the earthy, Winter ingredients in the Garden. Kale, bitter greens, collards and root vegetables are fun to experiment with and provide a true taste of the season.” That preference aligns with her breakfast specialty and with the broader shape of her career, where nourishment, access, and service stay tied together without losing their practical edge.