A Chef with a Mission to Give Back at Aspetuck Valley Country Club

Left: Gerard Clinton. Right: ​Slow Cooked Wagyu “Pastrami” Short Rib with Petite French Coco Beans, Savoy Cabbage, Red Onion Confit & Ginger Chili Crisp Gastrique

​Gerard Clinton, Executive Chef at Aspetuck Valley Country Club, is a native New Yorker born and raised in Rockland County. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from the College of Charleston before attending the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park. Upon completing his studies at the CIA, he spent many years working with acclaimed chefs Christian Bertrand of Bertrand’s Greenwich CT, Lutèce NYC, David Burke of the Park Ave Café N.Y.C. and Steffano Battistini Four Seasons/Seagrill NYC. 

He established Restaurant Promis in Westport, CT, where Patricia Brooks of the New York Times raved, “The dishes were little short of sensational,” giving Chef Clinton a Three Star Rating. 

Restaurant Promis was awarded Connecticut Magazine’s Best New Restaurant in Fairfield Country, stating, “Gerard Clinton climbs culinary heights with original combinations, perfectly prepared and exquisitely presented.” During his time at Promis, Gerard was invited to cook at the James Beard House in New York City.

Chef Clinton’s present culinary home is Aspetuck Valley Country Club in Weston, Ct., where he has developed a recognized food and beverage program. He manages a Farm to Table program in which sustainable, seasonal products are grown and processed into the Aspetuck food program. Aspetuck Valley has been recognized in multiple periodicals in the Connecticut area and a televised ABC program, Born to Explore, about Farm to Table.

At Aspetuck Valley, Gerard successfully implemented an entirely new food program. Seasonal wine dinners, cooking demonstrations, guest chef dinners, pop-up restaurant themes, dry aging program, Thanksgiving and Christmas to go program, which resulted in a 300% increase, a Farm to Table program in which he oversees the half-acre Aspetuck Farm that has been in production for 15 years. He created the Aspetuck Farmers Market, where members can access homegrown vegetables, proteins, and prepared foods. During the pandemic, the farmers market went to a new level, producing thousands of meals a week. 

Gerard has made good use of his free time over the years. He has staged in many of the top restaurants in the United States, including the French Laundry, Restaurant Daniel, Gramercy Tavern, Maialino, Betony, The No Mad, Scarpeta, Blue Smoke, Aureole, Café Gray, Café Boulud, Boulud Sud, Marea, La Pavilion, La Gratin and Caelis (Barcelona). He will be traveling to Portugal this year to work at The Oitavis with Cyril Devilliers, Executive Chef.

Gerard Clinton shared his passion for traditional cooking techniques and how he encourages a paying-it-forward attitude with his culinary team in a recent interview with Golf Kitchen Magazine. 

GK: Would you agree that golf and country clubs must invest in their culinary teams?

I completely agree with you. Having the right people around you can make a huge difference in success. Investing in the right people and providing them with the proper guidance and support can help them grow and develop, benefiting the entire team and organization. 
 
In a kitchen, having a well-trained staff who can work together efficiently and effectively is especially important. Education and proper training can make a signficant difference in the quality of the food and overall experience for customers.
 
GK: When did you transition from restaurants to the private club industry?
 
After considering it for some time, I switched from the public restaurant scene to the private club scene and have been at Aspetuck Valley CC for 21 years. The membership is remarkable and highly educated about food. As a chef, I appreciate their understanding and appreciation for our work. It’s been an unbelievable experience and an excellent match for me.
 
GK: What was the cuisine like when you first came here, and how did you influence change?

It was a complete overhaul. My background is very food-focused, and I have always cooked everything from scratch. Bringing a product to the table that is seasonally driven and well executed to the membership was key. I told myself this was a regular clientele, and I would see these people every day. There are pros and cons to that, but I like to look at things positively and see this as an opportunity to change the menu often; an everyday clientele appreciates the menu changes.
 
GK: Tell us about the garden you have nurtured for 15 years. 
 
 I took my food-focused background and passion for sustainability to the next level by starting the club’s garden 15 years ago. Growing your produce is not a trend; it is a lifestyle. Every year, I maintain around 20 raised beds that produce an impressive amount of food. During the summer, we harvest two to three thousand pounds of juicy, ripe tomatoes alongside various other delicious vegetables. Seeing the abundance that can be achieved with love and care for the earth is impressive.
 
GK: Tell us about your team and how you foster a mentor-mentee environment. 

I spend much time with the people in the kitchen, as they are a big part of it. I invest time in educating them and emphasizing the importance of paying it forward. I am forever grateful to Christian Bertrand, who taught me many years ago. I have taken his teachings, and it’s my turn to pass on the knowledge. Some members of my team started as dishwashers in this kitchen. I can recognize certain qualities in people and invest in them, which pays dividends to the business and the operation. The Chef is only one person; the people he selects to support the vision are essential. 

GK: How can clubs aid in the effort to nurture the growth of interest in culinary careers in the private club industry? 
 
Clubs have an advantage with financial support, and they should focus on finding and nurturing future talented chefs and culinary personnel. It makes sense to scout for talent from a young age, just like professional athletes. A sub-committee of the CMAA could be formed to focus on this initiative. It would also be beneficial for club managers to source top food establishments and establish some sort of incentive and business “employment” relationship with them. This would provide access to top quality chefs from various kitchens, who could then be added to a Chefs Think Tank for clubs to use as a source for top talent. By doing this, both the establishment and the chefs themselves would be incentivized to work with clubs, making it easier to attract top talent. Overall, the benefits of investing in this initiative will pay dividends for the club’s future.

GK: Any words of wisdom for future club chefs? 

• Know that this is the career that you want and commit to it fully.
• Be very selective in choosing who you work for early in your career. 
• Always keep up on ever changing industry trends and leaders.
• Put as much money as you can into your 401k as soon as you can.

The onsite farm at Aspetuck Valley Country Club,  Weston, CT, USA. Image by Dan Murdoch. 

"Working alongside Gerard Clinton, Executive Chef at Aspetuck Valley Country Club, has been an enriching experience from a General Manager's standpoint. Gerard is not only a classically trained chef with an impressive pedigree, honing his skills alongside culinary legends like Christian Bertrand and David Burke, but also a visionary leader in the kitchen.

As a classically trained chef, it has been gratifying to watch his creativity coming out of the kitchen.

His tenure at Aspetuck Valley has been marked by a profound transformation of the club's culinary landscape. He fosters a mentor-mentee environment in the kitchen, emphasizing the importance of education, skill development, and the value of paying it forward, a philosophy he embodies daily.

His ability to recognize and nurture talent has elevated the team's capabilities and contributed to a highly motivated and cohesive kitchen staff.

As a General Manager, witnessing the club's culinary reputation flourish under Gerard's stewardship and the marked increase in member satisfaction is profoundly gratifying. Gerard's philosophy that "food has an inherent logic that evolves from tradition," coupled with his innovative strategies and commitment to tradition and quality, truly sets him apart as a chef and a culinary leader."

~Renaud Ammon, General Manager

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