Chef
Joseph Lenn
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
i. Biography
"I have always loved the Southeast, and growing up in this region inspires a lot of things that I do." In Joseph Lenn, that line reads less like branding than method: the Southeast sits at the center of the work, shaping the menus, the pacing, and the way J.C. Holdway has been built around regional ingredients and traditions.
The Climb
Training at Johnson & Wales University in Charleston gave the craft a formal base, with culinary schooling setting the tone for the work that followed. From there, Joseph Lenn moved through kitchens that asked for different disciplines and widened his sense of the region. As butcher at Butler and Bailey Market in Knoxville, Tennessee, he worked in a role where precision and care were part of the daily standard. As intern at Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee, he continued in a setting where the kitchen’s focus stayed close to place and season. The next stops added restaurant experience across different formats. As cook at Peninsula Grill in Charleston, South Carolina, and later as member of the opening team at The Hermitage Hotel's Capitol Grille in Nashville, Tennessee, Lenn worked in environments where timing, coordination, and consistency matter as much as technique. He then served as Executive Chef at Blackberry Farm / The Barn at Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee, a position that placed Joseph Lenn in a central role at one of the region’s closely watched kitchens. Since 2016, he has been chef and owner of J.C. Holdway.
Today
Since opening J.C. Holdway (since 2016), Joseph Lenn has kept the same regional line running through the restaurant. The work reflects experience gathered from market, butcher block, hotel kitchen, and fine-dining service, but the throughline is still the Southeast. At J.C. Holdway, that background becomes a kitchen point of view rather than a list of influences, with Joseph Lenn using the restaurant to keep those lessons in one place. The result is cooking shaped by place without turning vague about it. In Joseph Lenn’s hands, the Southeast remains specific material: ingredients, memory, and regional habit carried into a restaurant identity that stays direct. "I have always loved the Southeast, and growing up in this region inspires a lot of things that I do."
Signature
Joseph's signature dishes include guinea confit with gnocchi and poached eggs. The plate points to a kitchen that values composition and balance, with each element working as part of the whole. For Lenn, the dish reads as careful construction rather than display, which fits the broader regional discipline behind his cooking.
Recognition
Joseph's honors include James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast (2013), Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, Best New Restaurants in America, 12 Best New Restaurants in America, The Year in Southern Restaurants, and Grand Chef. Taken together, those honors mark steady recognition across multiple platforms, with Joseph Lenn’s work read as part of a sustained regional practice rather than a single breakout moment.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Joseph
What is Joseph Lenn's current role?
As of 2026, Joseph Lenn is Chef and Owner.
Where did Joseph Lenn train or study?
Joseph Lenn trained at Johnson & Wales University in Charleston.
What recognition has Joseph Lenn received?
James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast (2013).
