CHEF CHRISTOPHER KEARSE
Philly native Christopher got inspired to pursue a culinary career by watching hours of Food Network shows while recovering from a horrific car accident at age 16. While attending the Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College in Philadelphia, he set up stages with wd-50 (1 Michelin Star) and Cafe Gray in New York as well as Gordon Ramsay (3 Michelin Stars) and St. John (1 Michelin Star) in London. After graduating, he managed to secure two more stages, one at the world-renowned French Laundry (3 Michelin Stars) and another at highly acclaimed Charlie Trotter (2 Michelin Stars). Christopher also worked at Tru (2 Michelin Stars) while staging at Alinea (3 Michelin Stars) on the weekends. Once he moved back to Philadelphia, he opened Will BYOB, which earned him a plethora of accolades, including two James Beard nods and a StarChefs Rising Star Chef award. After closing Will BYOB in 2019, Christopher opened Forsythia in Philadelphia's Old City neighborhood, where he is currently the Chef/Owner.
