Serving: Kale Salad With Pimento Cheese Stuffed Okra and Sorghum Glazed Sweet Potatoes, Cucumber, Candied Pecans w/ Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Kyle Wilkerson, of Wilkerson Catering & Co. was born and raised in Durham, NC. Chef Wilkerson credits his love for southern inspired dishes and farm-to-table cooking to the time spent in the kitchen with his mom, his Mema, his Nannie, and his Poppa Paul. Kyle attended culinary school at Wake Technical Community College. Following graduation in 2007, he found himself in numerous high-end kitchens
from the Washington Duke Inn to Chef de Cuisine at Watts Grocery, refining his craft and learning fromsome of the best chefs in the Piedmont. His most notable achievement during this time was becoming the Sous Chef at Durham’s award-winning Four Square Restaurant. In addition to countless hours spent in the kitchen, Chef Kyle also devoted many years developing recipes and assisting with food photography for Edible Piedmont magazine, Williams-Sonoma, House-Autry and Tenda-Bake, just to name a few.
After a few short years, Chef Kyle gathered all that he’d learned and made the brave decision to branch out on his own, giving birth to Heirloom: A Poppa Paul Kitchen, formerly located in Uptown Roxboro, NC. For roughly 2 years, Chef Kyle served as co-owner and executive chef at Heirloom, a pioneering farm-to-table restaurant. While the restaurant is no longer in business, Wilkerson currently serves as the Program Head for Vance Granville Community College’s Culinary Arts Department, where he continues to make the kitchen his classroom and also operating his own catering company on the side to keep himself current and sharp in the ever-changing culinary world! When he’s not working, Chef Kyle enjoys watching his son, Carter, play baseball and visiting Southport, NC with his fiancé, Chelsae.