Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate and Jeffrey Fournier.
Kate and Jeffrey, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My husband, Jeffrey Fournier, and I purchased a historic Jackson, New Hampshire property, Thompson House Eatery, in November of 2016. We reopened the restaurant a year and a half ago. I grew up in the Mount Washington Valley and we are absolutely thrilled to be raising our two young sons in such a special community. The nearly 5-acre property consists of a 1790 farmhouse, a 100 seat restaurant, two barns, a farm stand and ample land to grow and cultivate. It is truly a live, work, love venture and our family puts our whole hearts into creating an incredible restaurant where each patron feels like a welcome guest in our home.
The former Thompson House Eatery operated for 37 years and was a landmark in the Jackson community. It was a favorite of my family and both of my brothers had their rehearsal dinners there. I have wonderful memories peppered all throughout the dining room. When they closed, three years prior to our purchase of the property, the community felt the loss. While the property had several interested buyers, the former owners felt a strong connection as stewards of the land and pride in the legacy they created. As a result, they waited patiently believing the right people would come along.
We are incredibly grateful that based on my connection to the Valley and Jeff’s expertise as a chef that they chose us to carry the torch forward as the new proprietors.
Chef Jeffrey Fournier has always prepared his menus from scratch, sourced the highest quality goods, and been dedicated to the farms that grow the beautiful ingredients he uses. He has had an incredible career as a chef spanning 30 years. As a young man, he found his footing in the kitchen working in Los Angeles, CA under acclaimed Chef, Hans Rockenwagner. He then moved back to his native Massachusetts and worked in several incredible restaurants. Most notably Jeff was a Sous Chef for Chef Lydia Shire and cooked for her in several restaurants, over 8 years, including Pignoli, Excelsior and Locke Ober, in Boston. Jeff was then chosen as the Executive Chef of the original Metropolitan Club, in Chestnut Hill, where he won notoriety as a rising star on the Boston food scene.
In January 2007, Jeff opened his first independent restaurant, 51 Lincoln in Newton, MA. This was an exciting time in Jeff’s career. He was recognized by the Boston media’s Boston Magazine, the Improper Bostonian and Boston Globe achieving Best Chef in Boston that year and for opening the Best Restaurant. Being awarded Best Chef was particularly exciting because it was the first time someone had attained that award outside the city limits. As he and his wife Kate approached the birth of their first son in 2013, Jeff opened his second independent restaurant in Newton, Waban Kitchen.
Both 51 Lincoln and Waban Kitchen were well regarded and much loved neighborhood bistros but approaching the birth of his second son, in 2015, he dreamed of a better way of life. After cheffing in fast-paced, aggressive environments, for years Jeff started to seek balance in the profession that he loves and has chosen. Moving from Newton, MA to Jackson, NH was largely based on attaining a better quality of life and continuing to strive for culinary excellence. He and his family have found the perfect venture in Thompson House Eatery.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Well, there are the usual challenges of owning a 2-century old homestead…
I would say that the biggest obstacle is the sourcing of fresh ingredients. We are holding all purveyors to a higher standard which they are not used to here. An example would be that we refuse to accept meats that have been frozen, even after lengthy phone calls to make sure that we are only ordering fresh proteins. Fresh greens and herbs that were getting frozen on the trucks on the way north have inspired us to start our own year round growing of micro greens and herbs.
We also are overcoming joining a community where standards of hospitality and food are not at the same standard as we demand. After teaching at BU for 10 years, we knew that establishing a level of culinary excellence in the area would be a challenge. We are happen to say that we’ve built a great teaching kitchen here, where a few ambitious individuals have grown to leaders.
Our goal is to make the Mount Washington Valley a destination for cuisine again!
Please tell us about Thompson House Eatery.
In this property, our dream has been realized. We spend each day in close proximity to each other, all working toward a shared goal, with an incredible staff. In the height of the summer, our garden produces 90% of our produce, herbs, as well as all of our flowers. We source beautiful ingredients from local farmers that have become friends with and grow our own microgreens, in-house, year round. We make everything in-house from scratch. All of our pasta, bread, pastries, and ice cream are made onsite.
Jeff loves to work with whole animals sourcing pigs, chicken, lamb, and beef from neighboring farms. The relationships we have created with purveyors of fine things such as Pork Hill Farm, Mill Brook Farm, Naylen Farm and the New Hampshire Mushroom Company, to name just a few, has reassured us that New Hampshire is the perfect fit for this venture. In the winter we share our garden and orchard with Jackson Ski Touring and when I look out back on picturesque days I can’t help but pinch myself. We are incredibly happy here!
We are proud to say that we give 100% to our hospitality and food every day. Our daily changing menu is allowing Chef Fournier to be inspired by our fresh local surroundings. He is excited to say he is cooking the food of his career!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
The biggest food relationship memory for Jeff is being at my grandparents house and having my Armenian grandfather, who was an avid gardener, pick and slice cucumbers out of the garden. He would just salt them on the plate for a summertime snack.
This is a food memory that I try to chase all the time.
Contact Info:
- Address: 193 Main Street Jackson, NH 03846
- Website: http://thethompsonhouseeatery.com/
- Phone: (603)383-9341
- Email: info@thethompsonhouseeatery.com
- Instagram: @thompsonhouseeatery
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thethompsonhouseeatery/
Image Credit:
Cait Bourgault Photography
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