Rachel and Brian Bender

Brian Bender is the executive chef The Cutting Board, a café and caterer in Ridgefield, Conn which he opened in September 2008 and co-owns with his wife Rachel Bender. 

     As the executive chef, Brian is responsible for all day-to-day operations, breakfast and lunch menu preparation and catering functions, as well as the overall management and brand identity of the business.  As part of Brian’s personal philosophy, he places a premium on utilizing locally-grown and organic ingredients whenever possible in his cooking.

     Prior to opening The Cutting Board, Brian worked as a chef across the United States.  Some of the highlights from his career include working as a line chef  at Crabtree’s Kittle House in Chappaqua, NY from 1994 to 1995.  While Bender was there, the restaurant earned a three  out of four star rating from The New York Times restaurant review.   After leaving the Kittle House Brian worked as the fish chef at La Reserve on 49th Street in New York City.

      Brian also worked at The Ritz-Carlton Mauna Lani in 1993, where he had the opportunity to cook for master chef Julia Child after which she entered the kitchen meal to give the kitchen staff a standing ovation. 

     Brian also spent five years working as a personal chef for a family in Westchester County.

     Brian has worked in many restaurants across San Francisco and Westchester County giving him an expertise in many types of food preparation and cooking.  He has unparalleled experience in large- and small-scale catering from working in both industrial and home-based kitchens.

      Brian earned an Associate of Occupational Studies degree in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America, after earning an Associates  degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from City College of San Francisco. 

      Brian and his wife Rachel live in Connecticut with their two daughters, Marley age 6 and Talia age 4.

tastethedifference@cuttingboardct.com