Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Smith.
Joshua, the North Carolina native and charcuterie aficionado behind Moody’s Delicatessen and Provisions, began his culinary career learning artisanal charcuterie at Dean and Deluca’s flagship store in Charlotte, NC. Under the tutelage of French Master Chef Charles Semail, he first began to produce sausages and pates.
Smith moved to the West Coast and worked his way up the coastline at a range of establishments including boutique eateries, large-scale food and beverage operations, and fine dining restaurants before landing at the Four Seasons Olympic Hotel in Seattle. He learned team organizational skills and kitchen management – valuable knowledge that would pay dividends in his future.
An opportunity arose in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Smith found himself returning home to run a popular kitchen under Chef Dale Ray of the Nobles Restaurant Group. Charcuterie was a main feature on the restaurant’s menu, and Smith was excited about the prospect of taking his charcuterie skills to the next level.
It was around this time when the West beckoned once again. Smith was recruited to set up the food and beverage program for 5 restaurants in a resort development near Lake Tahoe.
Back on the East Coast, Smith reconnected with the Four Seasons Hospitality Group, serving as Sous Chef at the Four Seasons Hotel Boston, where his charcuterie was constantly featured on the menus of both the Bristol Lounge and the late, great Aujourd’hui.
Next, he helped Michael Schlow successfully launch Tico, his Latin American restaurant in the Back Bay, as Executive Chef. Under his guidance, the restaurant won Esquire’s award for Top 20 Best New Restaurants in America and also received great reviews from other local and national media.
Joshua founded New England Charcuterie with the intention of making artisanal meats right here in New England, creating old world meats for both retail and wholesale.
In November of 2013, Moody’s Delicatessen & Provisions opened in Waltham as a home for Smith to showcase his meats and share his passion for charcuterie. Since opening, Moody’s and Smith have been featured on the cover of Boston Magazine, in The Boston Globe, in Edible Boston, and on both Chronicle and Phantom Gourmet.
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?
It has been an exciting road. I am always going to encounter obstacles along the way, it’s just a part of life, especially learning to grow a business in real time. There is no manual to teach you how to run a business and it’s a blessing and a curse at the same time.
The excelled growth I have experienced in my life has been a tremendous learning curve; there is always something new each day that I learn about myself, the business or my employees. Growing and learning is an experience in itself, especially with 90 employees. I have had to take a step back and adjust the way I manage people and my expectations. There is always something new.
Moody’s Delicatessen & Provisions – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We specialize in handcrafted artisanal products, gourmet sandwiches, homemade pastas, and flatbreads as well as delectable desserts.
My vision was to create everything on the menu from the Bologna and ham to the Coppa and sausages. I wanted to exercise complete control of the quality of the food being served from start to finish, and the extraordinary Moody’s Deli was born.
We currently offer 35 varieties of salumi, 5 different cured hams, 12 varieties of Pate, 8 variations of whole muscle coppa, 20 smoked sausage, and 20 fresh sausages, along with a full complement of deli meats that are also served in his restaurant
I am most proud of the level of hospitality we show our guests on a daily basis. We show the utmost respect from our delivery drivers to cleaners. We treat everyone as a VIP guest. The level of service that our team provides makes me so proud, It starts from the top down. People talk about the food but it’s the service that sets us apart.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moment of my career is having the privilege to lead a company of over 90 employees on a daily basis. I feel lucky that I have the opportunity to influence hundreds of people and have an impact on the lives of employees at my restaurant. I feel I give an opportunity to everyone to find their voice and I encourage everyone to do their best, in any aspect of their life. I enjoy seeing everyone succeed and being happy at work. I truly enjoy working with a great team who feels inspired to do their best work every day.
Contact Info:
- Address: 468 Moody Street
- Website: moodyswaltham.com
- Phone: 781-216-8732
- Email: joshua@newenglandcharcuterie.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moodyswaltham/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moodyswaltham/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MoodysWaltham
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/moodys-delicatessen-and-provisions-waltham
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