Jason Stanhope

Coming Up

Le Cordon Bleu gave Jason Stanhope a formal base before Charleston, South Carolina, became the proving ground for the next stretch of his work. Over more than a decade there, he built a reputation on discipline, steadiness, and a clear read on how fine technique can sit inside a Southern idiom. That line ran through his tenure as executive chef at FIG in Charleston, South Carolina (2012–2023), then continued at Lowland in Charleston, South Carolina (2023–2025), where the job was less about starting over than carrying a point of view into a different room. Today, Jason is chef and operating partner of Sullivan's Fish Camp (since 2025). The role keeps him close to the coast, where timing, product, and place sit in the same frame. It is a setting that suits a cook whose work has been shaped by repetition, exacting standards, and a habit of letting experience accumulate rather than announcing itself.

Where They Are Now

Southern classics and seasonal ingredients remain the reference points in Jason Stanhope's cooking, but they are treated as working materials, not fixed doctrine. That balance keeps the food readable without making it rigid. The plate can acknowledge the familiar and still move with the day, the catch, or the market basket. Jason Stanhope puts that position plainly: “I love this industry. I’m more in love with restaurant life than ever before.” The statement lands like someone speaking from long experience, with the hours, pressure, and standards of restaurant work fully accounted for. It also tracks with the shape of his career: a long run in Charleston, a move through leadership, and now an operating-partner role on Sullivan's Island. He also says, “I truly believe that we do our best work right outside our comfort zone.” That idea fits the path from Le Cordon Bleu to Charleston, from executive chef to operating partner, and it explains the way his cooking keeps moving without losing its ground. The work stays close to classic form, but it leaves room for seasonality and local sourcing to change the outcome.

In Their Words “I love this industry. I’m more in love with restaurant life than ever before.” “I truly believe that we do our best work right outside our comfort zone.”

Honors

Jason's honors include James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast (2015).