Kitchen

Jonathon Gillespie

Director of Food & Beverage
Hometown: South Burlington, VT

Jonathon, his wife, Ashley and their kids have called Clark, CO their home for the last 14 years. Jonathon is a longtime friend to the ranch and his passion for creative cuisine brightens our mealtimes and cooking classes. He originally honed his culinary skills at CIA, New York and he was previously the Head Chef at The Home Ranch, right here in Clark. When Jonathon is not cooking in the VVR kitchen, you will find him hunting, fishing and hanging out with his family. Fun Fact: He has been perfecting his apple pie recipe for 30 years!

Melissa Margason

Pastry Chef
School: New England Culinary Institute AOS

A lifelong love of horses, food, and anything outdoors brought Melissa west in 2015. Working at VVR has provided a way to combine the career of a pastry chef and the desire to spend time outside hiking and riding like nowhere else could. Each season has it’s own highlights; the Christmas Day feast, skiing, snowmobiling, fall cattle drives and pumpkin pies, summer popsicles and long hikes in the Zirkels.

Prior to heading west, she worked in various pastry positions for ten years in the Northern Virginia region, including restaurants, catering and wholesale volume pastry production.

After her first winter season, it was quite apparent that Nathan (our safety manager) was the cowboy she had been waiting for, and they were married in October of 2016.

Ben Huston

Executive Chef
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio

Ben joins us for his fourth season as our head chef. A former student of both Cincinnati State University and the University of Cincinnati, Ben started cooking for fun as a teen which led him to his first culinary job at 18. He’s travelled the U.S. extensively for fun and work, picking up all variety cuisine knowledge along the way. He even spent a year in Oaxaca and Mexico City to really deep dive into the Mexican food scene. He enjoys learning about, and experiencing, the western lifestyle!

Michael Popiel

Sous Chef
Hometown: Potsdam, NY

This is Michael’s third season with us here at the ranch, and boy are we all excited to continue enjoying his amazing food! Michael has worked for three James Beard Award Winning Chefs (and if you know anything about fine dining, that’s a pretty big deal). He attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park before traveling around to five different states to hone in on his craft. He enjoys everything about mountain living and the freedom and creativity our kitchen fosters working with the finest ingredients and local purveyors. When he’s not in the kitchen whipping up your next meal you might find him birding, writing poetry, or playing and watching tennis. Fun fact: he played tuba in high school and his father was a professional tuba player and he’s currently working on writing his first children’s book!

Charles Beatty

Line Cook
Hometown: Prestonsburg, KY

This is Charlie’s second season in the kitchen at VVR and he brings with him a breadth of experience in the culinary world. He has traveled and worked in many different locations across the East Coast, most recently a restaurant in the Outer Banks. He attended the Culinary Institute of America for a short time. When he’s not in the kitchen you can find him backpacking, fishing, hiking, camping, or putting his feet up and playing some video games.

Tristan Voyles

Line Cook
Hometown: Rago, KS

Tristan came to VVR this June and we couldn’t imagine the kitchen without him. He is from a small town in Kansas, his highschool graduation class has a whopping size of 16 people! He grew up working on his family farm with chickens, cows, goats, and lots of lettuce! Tristan honed his talents from previously working in the restaurant industry for 4 years and he can’t look back. He loves learning and working with the many personalities the kitchen brings. When he isn’t busy cooking, you can find him taking long drives on his motorcycle!

Chantal Weaver

Line Cook
Hometown: Belleville, PA

Born in Ohio but raised in PA, Chantal made the trek out to Clark this winter where she will have her first season as a line cook! Recently graduated from a small Christian school located in the beautiful mountains of central Pennsylvania. Her previous kitchen experience was with a catering company but she has always loved being in the kitchen. She is most looking forward to skiing, hiking, playing the flute, and spending time in the outdoors. She is most excited to grow in her knowledge within the kitchen and build new relationships. She is in the right place to learn and we can’t wait to see her skills develop!

Jane Farnham

Pastry Chef Assistant
Hometown: Elverson, PA

Jane just graduated this past May from the University of Delaware with a degree in Food Science. Since graduation, she has been working in food labs conducting research & development for various food companies, but she couldn’t ignore her dream to move out West and try something new! She loves to be outside, skiing, horseback riding, sailing, surfing, and hiking. When she is feeling more indoorsy you can find her curled up with a book or sewing!

Megan Stair

Dishwasher
Hometown: Delevan, WI

Megan is back for her second season, her first being a housekeeper. Out of high school, she worked at a girls home for at risk teens before making the transition to food and retail. In her free time she enjoys puzzling and skiing. She is quite the adventure seeker, she has been whitewater rafting, kayaking in caves, and is an avid camper. We are so happy to have her back!

Jenna Hogan

Dishwasher
Hometown: Carmel, IN

Jenna joins us for her first season at Vista Verde although she is no stranger to guest ranches. Her last job had her in Juno, Alaska where she was a Wrangler! Jenna was homeschooled, along with her 6 other siblings and is a continuous learner. She has played soccer for the last 10 years, loves to read, and sew.