Name: Jeffrey Compton

Name of Organization: The Battery- Homewood, AL

Where were you born and raised?

I was born in Cocoa Beach, FL and raised in Destin, FL

Where did you train to become a chef?

In the Trenches! Haha, I never trained at a traditional school. I’ve learned my craft through all the restaurants I’ve worked in since I was a teenager. From the bottom up and asking as many questions as possible.

What inspired you to become a chef?

I was wasting a lot of time trying to figure out what I wanted to do in life. My chef finally sat me down and told me I need to quit running and place and choose my path. He told me I might not cook forever, but I might as well learn everything I can about the industry while I’m in it. “You’re surrounded by so much knowledge and you don’t even know it. Reach out and get it.”

What other jobs have you worked within the food industry?

I’ve done just about every job in the restaurant from dishwasher to server to chef.

Who is the most notable person you’ve ever cooked for?

Melissa McCarthy

What are your professional goals?

My main goals are to own multiple different concept restaurants that all represent the way I define food at the forefront, employing a community of outstanding people, and being a culinary leader for the state of Alabama.

What’s your favorite seafood dish to serve up for yourself and your family?

Snapper Puttanesca

If you won the lottery, how would you spend your winnings?

I would probably try and build a fully sustainable farm to table restaurant.

If you weren’t a chef, what line of work would you pursue?

I would probably be a photographer.

What makes Alabama Gulf Seafood special?

It’s nostalgic down to the core. When I think of Alabama gulf seafood, I think of my childhood fishing on the docks, throwing the cast net, and that salty air that just hits different.