Matt And Kate Jennings On Farmstead In Providence, Rhode Island
It would be hard to find a husband-and-wife team more complimentary for a restaurant than Matt and Kate Jennings — Matt went to culinary school and studied with cheesemongers; Kate is a classically trained pastry chef. As a duo, they are working well together at Farmstead in Providence, R.I. They've grown the business over the years. As Kate mentions, "We started as a cheese shop in 2003, and it was strictly cheese for a few years and then we realized we needed to do more. Our customer based wanted maybe sandwiches and a glass of wine with their sandwiches." Matt adds, "It's grown very organically. It started with a retail focus and it has shifted to food service while still maintaining some of the retail group."
But their retail background has had an important effect on ensuring that the products remain the focus. Matt noted, "Being cooks and always loving having our hands in the product I think translates directly to the shop. Kate's baked goods are out for sale every day... Getting everything as fresh as we can every morning and likewise getting the best with the meats. We source as well as we can. And, in all honesty, do little to the product, manipulate it as little as we can."
For more, watch the video above or head to Farmstead when in Providence!