About Chef Brendan Orr
Introduction
Chef Brendan Orr is a renowned, award-winning chef based in Key West, Florida, United States. With a passion for culinary arts and a wealth of experience, Chef Orr is dedicated to delivering exceptional dining experiences. From creating innovative and delicious menus to providing personalized catering services, Chef Orr strives to exceed expectations and delight taste buds. With a commitment to quality and a meticulous attention to detail, Chef Brendan Orr ensures that every dish is prepared to perfection, using only the finest ingredients. Whether it's a private event, corporate function, or intimate gathering, Chef Orr delights in bringing you his “New-Island” cuisine, combining contemporary flavors of the tropics, spices from the far east and staples from the Mediterranean along with the absolute freshest local produce, meats and seafood.
Background
Chef Orr got his start cooking in an apprenticeship program with the American Culinary Federation in Jacksonville, Florida. He then relocated to Paris, France, where he attended several Master Chefs classes taught by world renowned Meilleur Ouvrier de France award winner Chef Michel Cliche. He developed an early love for hospitality, running a restaurant in the center of the city. After returning to the states, he decided to move to Key West where he worked for six years as Sous-chef under Executive Chef Doug Shook at the acclaimed Louie’s Backyard.
Over the last two decades, Chef Orr has has become a mainstay of the Key West cooking scene. As an Executive Chef, he has created countless menus and worked at such iconic restaurants as Roof Top Café, First Flight Island Restaurant & Brewery, Nine One Five Restaurant and Brewery, Marylin’s Restaurant & Pub, and various other establishments he has helped to launch over the years.
He has regularly been featured in the media, not only for his culinary accomplishments, but for his support of charitable activities such as AIDS HELPS, annual Taste of Key West and the Bahamas Village Children’s Music Trust, and the Destin Charity Wine Auction and Foundation. In addition, Chef Orr has won the Marc House’s Master Chefs Classic Award three years in a row.
For a time, Chef Orr gained experience in institutional food management at the Westin and Marriott properties in Key West. As much as he enjoyed those experiences, he found himself continuously being drawn back by the creative freedom that comes with working in a less restrained environment.
Independent, private chef
Today, Chef Orr is a private chef, frequently working for families and other guests seeking discreet, high-end dining experiences. He enjoys the freedom of being an entrepreneur, as it allows him maximum flexibility to be creative and explore new themes in his cooking.
He places a premium on developing relationships with his guests, connecting with them to make them feel spoiled pampered, and welcome to the keys. His “New-Island” cuisine will excite your taste buds and leave you yearning to try his next creation!