The Cookery: Now Serving Second Chances

When you send your compliments to the chefs at The Cookery, get ready for a surprise. Stepping into the kitchen you will be greeted by the beaming faces of seven formerly homeless men, each of them well-practiced in the pursuit of flavor.
The Cookery is so much more than meets the taste buds. It is a place where these men train in the culinary arts and, more importantly, find healing and regain a sense of dignity and purpose. “These guys feel like they’ve dropped out of life, so this experience is a game changer,” says Brett Swayn, founder and chef. “They learn it’s more subtle than just food; it’s an expression, a chance to meet people through food. This gives them new life.”
Understanding the spirit of this remarkable eatery begins with Brett’s story. Many years ago, Brett, an Australian native, found himself stepping off a greyhound in Nashville with nothing but the clothes on his back and nowhere to sleep but a missions facility. “You have nowhere to rest,” describes Brett, “you are not allowed to use most bathrooms. You become mentally and physically exhausted.”
After many months, Brett found a job in a restaurant. He quickly excelled and eventually became sous chef for the restaurant’s national chain. Fueled by his Christian faith and his newfound compassion for the homeless, Brett began a program to feed the hungry, and the numbers of people served grew into the hundreds.
Indeed, Brett’s compassion seems boundless. Even I was once an unsuspecting beneficiary of his kindness. I met Brett on a wet winter’s day when my husband and I arrived at The Cookery to find the door locked. We turned to walk away just as a voice with a Australian accent beckoned us back. “I am so sorry we are closed today,” he said. “Our guys worked so hard over Christmas I thought I’d give them a week off to rest. But don’t go away empty-handed. Can I bless you with some dessert?” Before I could say anything, he smiled and went to fetch the treats. He returned with two ramekins full of dark brown goo. He pressed them into our hands and said, “Bake these at 425 degrees for twelve minutes. Then flip them over onto a dish for chocolate lava cake.” We went home bewildered and delighted. The cake was fantastic.
For Brett, feeding the homeless is only a short term solution. In 2008 he met Terry Kemper, a former caterer, and they developed a plan to equip homeless men with culinary training and, simultaneously, hope. “With the canvas of the culinary, we are dealing with the hurts of the mind… Hope is contagious,” Brett explains. “These guys begin to believe, ‘I can do something useful.’” The seven month program would provide the men with room and board, medical assistance, transportation, clothing, and a monthly stipend. Miraculously, Brett was offered a full year’s salary from a generous friend to realize this vision. The Cookery opened July 8, 2013 and celebrated its first graduates March 11, 2014.
Today, The Cookery offers coffee as well as a full menu with down- under flair. The staff takes pride in fresh ingredients, homemade spice rubs and sauces, and overall standard of excellence—as well they should. The Cookery’s pulled pork sandwich is the best I’ve had in Nashville. I also will be returning for the zesty fish lettuce wraps and the towering tiramisu.
Behind the scenes, guests feel a palpable camaraderie and joy radiating through the kitchen. Brandon, the youngest of the men, said that even if he doesn’t become a chef he is so much more confident than before. Jeff reflected on how he showed up one day, talked with Brett, and began training immediately. “I’m now jaded by other peoples’ cooking; everything is so good here.” Ray shared about becoming homeless after losing his family in a car crash but, through a renewal of his faith and teaming up with Brett, Ray now serves as The Cookery’s sous chef and assistant teacher. “This is who I am now. I am a teacher. I am a chef.”
Brett’s hopes for the future include training more men and eventually reaching out to women, troubled teens, single moms, among others. He dreams about sending his staff to culinary school on scholarships and one day seeing a fivestar restaurant run entirely by homeless people. Readers are invited to sponsor the men, and—of course—come and eat! Come any day of the week, or join them for their monthly dinner and a movie series (next one Jan. 22). All proceeds go back into funding the program. Just as critical for the men is to receive approval from their customers, Brett says. “Their accomplishments give air in the lungs, a belief they can achieve other things. These guys are not just constructing burgers, they are learning an art. Hands that may have once destroyed things are now making something beautiful.”
Coffee is not just for drinking—ground coffee has been used in cooking for ages; in Mexican mole sauces, and French desserts. The ground coffee adds a gutsy, deep, rich flavor to the pork that The Cookery serves on lettuce wraps with their secret sauce. We like it rubbed on about anything.
Combine: ½ cup fresh, finely ground coffee (dark roast); ¼ cup kosher salt; 2½ tablespoons each of smoked paprika and cumin; 2 tablespoons each of garlic powder, onion powder, coriander, black pepper and brown sugar; 1 tablespoons oregano; and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Mix well. Rub over pork, chicken, or salmon before cooking.