Chef cultivates community through conversation

Any Bennie or Johnnie who walks into Gorecki and sees Ken Sincleair’s smiling face knows that they are in for a good story. Sincleair has become an integral part of CSB+SJU folklore, developing a knack for connecting with each student on campus.

“I think it was two, three years ago…she [a student] made a comic,” Sincleair starts, later grabbing the comic from his locker to show. “It was a Johnnie—they walk up to the station and then there’s a little picture of me, and there’s a couple of air bubbles. And then the last picture was the student walking away, a smile on their face.”

Sincleair’s knack for helping people, whether by food or aid, started young; as a Boy Scout, his first two merit badges were first aid and cooking, a combination that would carry him through both the military and culinary school. However, one could argue (which Sincleair also does) that this care was fostered by his family—he was merely gifted the gene of their generosity and intelligence.

“My mom and my sister [are] both RNs [Registered Nurses]. My niece, my sister’s daughter, [has a] double master’s degree in special education. The women in my family are so much more awesome than the men,” Sincleair said with a smile. Sincleair’s father and his paternal line also impacted him; their ancestors have had a family member in every major American war except the Revolutionary War. This influenced his decision to join the Marines as a medical technician, later stationed in the Gulf War.

Continuing to help others, and letting other people help him, got Sincleair through past challenges and those he faced after returning home. Leaving the military in 1993, Sincleair returned to college for the third time, entering culinary school; interning in London, he worked at a three-star Michelin restaurant under the chef Michel Roux. He stayed for three months, but when he came back home, his father was ill.

“I moved in to help my mom take care of Dad. And then after Dad died, I took care of Mom, and she died five years ago. To this day, I am still 100% a mama’s boy. If you want to give me a hard time about being a mama’s boy, bring it. She was good,” Sincleair said.

For those who know Sincleair, there’s been a tangible tear in this woven story: his service dogs. Contrary to the mythos of time, Sincleair has not always had Scout and the late Escoffier as service animals, but that makes the memory all the more real.

“There are two others [puppies] in my lap and Escoffier looks up at me. Escoffier [is named] for Escoffier A [Auguste], the 18th century French chef that modernized it [kitchen staff rule] into the brigade system used in every modern kitchen in the world today,” Sincleair said.

After all of this, despite the London internship under his belt and being originally from Boston, Mass., Sincleair remained in the area because he loved the people and nature here. While touring the campuses for work, he visited a total of five times—three of those consisting of walking the trails in the woods.

Since settling here permanently, Sincleair has worked in every facet of Gorecki—front of house, kitchen, etc.—but did mention he still hasn’t had the chance to run a hotdog cart: that one is a work in progress.

Above all, he stays because he knows the people here are kindhearted and caring, and he wants to return the favor.

“We’re [the culinary staff] are trying to make you happy. If you show up here, just check your stress at the door because you need to be able to be happy,” Sincleair said.