Manifesto to Food

Sustainably Sourced

Freshly Prepared

Continuously Innovative

Matthew THompson

CHIEF CULINARY OFFICER & HOSPITALITY EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP
MBA, ProChef III, CEC, CCA, GRAE

LEADERSHIP EXPERTISE

Strategic, transformational executive who builds best-in-class operational systems, teams, and partnerships to drive positive business outcomes while advancing sustainable impact and corporate social responsibility goals. 

Motivational partnership catalyst skilled at forging internal and external alliances that steer ethical sourcing, waste reduction and diversion, and climate health strategies. 

Talent development champion adept at building workplace cultures of diversity, inclusion, and belonging; empowering teams to deliver innovative solutions; and motivating staff to achieve excellence.  

Change agent passionate about aligning operations with environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) principles and developing programs that produce meaningful economic and social impact while embedding ethics, transparency, and accountability into all operations and relationships.

Chef Matthew Thompson is a distinguished culinary professional and hospitality executive with over 25 years of experience in the industry. As the Chief Culinary Officer at Phoenix3 Holdings and Restaura Hospitality, he introduced progressive, sustainable, health-focused dining programs across senior living, healthcare, and corporate markets.

PHOENIX3 Holdings is a strategic growth partner that invests in lifestyle and integrated service companies focused on senior living, health care, and corporate verticals. We provide expertise, resources, and capital to innovative founders and family-owned companies that are culturally aligned with our investment thesis and are looking to accelerate their growth.

Restaura is a purpose-built hospitality company inspired by innovation, driven by data, supported by technology, and fueled by a passion for exceptional hospitality and flavor-forward culinary experiences created by leaders who have shaped the industry and are eager to redefine it.  

Chef Thompson began his career working for the Aramark Corporation, advancing through various roles with the organization, culminating in the Northeast Regional Culinary & Sustainability Director role. In this role, Chef Thompson supported 65 client sites across the 8-state northeast territory. He led region-wide sustainability initiatives, managed cost-optimization, supply chain, and business development efforts, and oversaw training, development, and engagements.

In April of 2016, he was recognized by Long Island University and awarded the Sustainable Pioneer Award for driving excellence and a culture of sustainability at Long Island University Post Campus.

In addition to his career with Aramark, Chef Thompson also worked part-time with the Newport Harbor Corporation based in Newport, RI and had been on the team between 2001-2016. NHC is a company with solid roots in the Farm-to-Table movement.

Chef Thompson has served as a consultant and lead programmer on the Apollo Food Management System and as a part-time rounds cook across their Newport Restaurant Group restaurants, working at 22 Bowens Wine Bar & Grille, The Mooring Restaurant, and Waterman Grille.

With a strong background in the local & responsibly sourced food movement, he advocates for plant-based menus. Chef Thompson was the co-founder and Chief Culinary Officer for Harvest Table Culinary Group, a dedicated team of chefs, wellness managers, and food enthusiasts who create a campus dining experience. Every meal tells a story, and every student leaves satisfied.

Harvest Table is passionate about bringing chef-driven, sustainable, and wellness-focused experiences to students and universities. The team is empowered with a boutique company's culinary freedom and agility to be responsive to student needs and truly impact their campus and local communities. Chef Thompson has brought progressive, sustainable, health-based dining to higher education partner sites for over twenty-five years.

A commitment to innovation and excellence marks Chef Thompson’s culinary journey. He holds an MBA from Johnson & Wales University and has completed Levels II and III of the Culinary Institute of America’s ProChef certification program. His expertise is further recognized by the American Culinary Federation, which has certified him as both an Executive Chef and a Certified Culinary Administrator. Chef Thompson studied Lifestyle Medicine at the Harvard Medical School under Dr. Beth Frates and Dr. Walter Willet. Chef Thompson is a certified lifestyle medicine coach passionate about promoting health education and lifestyle coaching.

A passionate advocate for responsibly sourced, plant-based ingredients, Chef Thompson emphasizes wellness and environmental sustainability in his culinary creations. His dedication to sustainable dining was honored in April 2016 when he received the Sustainable Pioneer Award from Long Island University for promoting a sustainability culture at their Post Campus

Beyond his executive role, Chef Thompson is an active contributor to the culinary community. He has presented at prominent industry conferences, including the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), the Culinary Institute of America’s Menus of Change, the Global Plant-Forward Culinary Summits, Long Island Regional Advisory Council on Higher Education (LIRACHE), the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute, Boston University Susilo Institute Symposium, Rochester Food Recovery & Organics Diversion Summit and the New York Coalition for Sustainability in Higher Education (NYCSHE). Most recently, Chef Thompson spoke at The Global Vegan Hospitality Conference.

Chef Thompson is a member of the sixth cohort of the Food Solutions New England Network Leadership Institute (FSNE NLI), a diverse cohort of values-motivated food system leaders demonstrating deep engagement with and commitment to the New England food system. The NLI is an immersive, experiential program that maximizes learning and growth, reflection and connection, and inspiration and renewal. The Institute is rooted in the values of the FSNE network, including democratic empowerment, racial equity, dignity for all, sustainability, and trust.

Chef Thompson is a Network Advisory Council member with Farm to Institution New England (FINE), the backbone of a six-state network of nonprofit, public, and private entities working to mobilize the power of regional institutions to transform our food system. FINE serves a network of non-profit organizations, government agencies, institutions, foundations, farms, food distributors, food processors, food service operators, and others. He was chosen based on his experience in various institutional sectors and vast skills and expertise in food systems research, policy, and program implementation. 

Chef Matthew Thompson continues to elevate dining experiences and contribute significantly to advancing the culinary arts through his leadership, culinary expertise, and advocacy for sustainable practices.