FoodHotelsFood and BeverageManagement

The Chef Who Once Banned Black Pepper & Lemons: Spike Gjerde

Restaurant Business
Restaurant Business•May 5, 2026

Why It Matters

It shows how a restaurant can turn local sourcing into measurable economic impact while adapting to post‑pandemic market realities, providing a replicable blueprint for the industry.

Key Takeaways

  • •Woodberry Kitchen returned over $25 million for local farmers
  • •Post‑COVID pivot created event‑focused space, boosting overall profitability
  • •Gjerde installed on‑site water filtration to eliminate shipped water
  • •Echo Project launches Lajite, blending Chesapeake seafood with French cuisine
  • •Grant‑funded canning facility will revive year‑round produce preservation

Summary

Chef Spike Gjerde discusses how his flagship Woodberry Kitchen has evolved into a broader culinary platform under the Echo Project, emphasizing hyper‑local sourcing and resilient business models.

He details concrete actions: installing on‑site water filtration, converting part of the restaurant into an event venue after COVID, and investing in a state‑approved canning line to preserve seasonal produce year‑round. Over 18 years Woodberry has funneled more than $25 million back into Maryland farms, a metric Gjerde uses to gauge impact.

Gjerde cites a farmer’s comment—"I stayed in business because of you"—as proof of the model’s effectiveness. The new Lajite restaurant (Logite) showcases Chesapeake crab in a bouillabaisse inspired by the south of France, while plans for an Italian‑focused market and retail space aim to broaden appeal.

The approach demonstrates that sustainability can coexist with profitability, offering a template for restaurateurs seeking to reduce supply‑chain emissions, support local economies, and diversify revenue through events and product lines.

Original Description

Spike Gjerde has long been one of the most committed regionalists in American cooking — so committed that for a while his Woodberry Kitchen in Baltimore didn’t serve lemon, black pepper, or vanilla because they don’t grow in the Chesapeake Bay region. Instead he used local vinegar, fish pepper, and other ingredients from Maryland and Virginia.
He has modified his stance on that and expanded his business into what he calls the Ecco Project, a group of restaurants that reflect food trends but with a regional accent. Woodberry has been transformed from a large restaurant with a small private dining room to an event space with a small restaurant. La Jetée — French for “jetty” because of its location — reflects the cuisine of the French region of Provence, but with Gjerde’s own approach to local sourcing. 
Next up: Bar Dalí, a tapas concept with Baltimore flair. 
He’s also teaming up with Johns Hopkins Medicine and University, substantially expanding his buying power and ability to support even more local producers than he had been. This could possibly move the needle on regional food systems — not just one chef buying from local farms, but a major university and hospital doing it too.
He recently discussed his approach to running restaurants and his plans for the future.
0:00 – Introduction: Preserving Seasonal Ingredients
0:59 – Meeting Spike Gjerde & The Ecco Project
2:50 – Early Decisions: Water Filters & Thoughtful Sourcing
3:50 – $25 Million Returned to Local Growers
5:46 – Reconcepting Woodberry Kitchen Post-COVID
7:24 – Preservation Kitchens & Thermal Processing Challenges
10:34 – La Jetée: Provence Meets Chesapeake Bay
13:35 – Blue Crab Bouillabaisse & Regional Cuisine
14:20 – Bar Dalí & The Ecco Project Expansion
17:20 – The Johns Hopkins Partnership: Scaling Local Sourcing
19:35 – Commissary Model & Volume Purchasing
22:10 – How Spike Discovered Local, Seasonal Cooking
24:00 – Chesapeake Bay Terroir: No Lemons, No Black Pepper
25:15 – The Fish Pepper: A Nearly Lost Cultivar
27:06 – Wrap-Up
----------------------------
_________________
Or follow us on:

Comments

Want to join the conversation?

Loading comments...