Corey Green, the new executive chef of Russell House’s Grand Market Place, left London for Columbia in a heartbeat.
“I’m originally from South Carolina, so I’m a Gamecock fan,” Green said. “I saw this post at Sodexo, and I jumped at the chance. It’s definitely a great opportunity.”
Green has been at USC for one month, but he has 17 years of experience working in the culinary business. For him, working at Sodexo is a break from the 16-hour workdays and six-day weeks required by many restaurant and hotel jobs.
Green is a classically trained chef in French cuisine and an alumnus of the Art Institute of Atlanta; he worked in Atlanta for two years before taking his first job as a chef.
Green’s resume also includes the Waynesville Inn Golf Resort & Spa in the mountains of North Carolina, where he worked as the executive chef for two years; running his own restaurant in Camden; and working for two-and-a-half years in London.
The quantity of food prepared at USC is very different than what Green dealt with during his fine dining experience, he said.
“Usually with fine dining, you don’t do over 100 people,” he said. “So here it’s more student-focused, more volume-focused.”
Though he is now busy preparing meals for a lot more people, Green has had a smooth transition into his new position at the Russell House.
“I’ve been around the business for a long time,” he said. “A kitchen, whether with 100 people or 10,000, it’s pretty much the same thing and the same mechanics.”
Green’s favorite part about his new job is the energy of the students and the energy of the staff. He enjoys working with the Russell House staff, some of whom have been working at USC for as long as 35 years.
“This campus is like tons of excitement,” he said. “I’m glad to be here as a representative of the University of South Carolina. It’s a special time for this campus, I believe.”
A chef traditionally trained in French cuisine, Green’s favorite meal to prepare is leg of lamb with steak fries and Bearnaise sauce.
And despite only recently taking over as executive chef, he already enjoys working at USC.
“Overall, I’ve been here for a month,” he said, “and I think it’s going to be a really great fit for myself.”