My Journey

I’m Chef Kiersten Gormeley, a New Jersey–based private chef, 2021 Food Network Chopped Champion, and Co-Founder and Executive Chef of Shaka Kitchen, which I founded in 2016 and have grown for nearly a decade.

Food has always been the way I connect, create, and care for people. I grew up in a family where meals mattered—big Sunday dinners, home-cooked food every night, and generations of talented cooks who taught me that food is about more than nourishment; it’s about togetherness. One of my favorite memories is from childhood summers in Hilton Head, where my sister Krista and I turned our condo into a pretend breakfast café called Café Croissant. Years later, we still joke that Shaka Kitchen is the real-life, grown-up version of that dream.

I’ve spent over 15 years in the culinary and hospitality industry, with experience spanning high-end restaurants, corporate dining, boutique catering, private chef services, and restaurant ownership. My background includes work with the Hillstone Restaurant Group, Dartcor Catering, Ome Catering, and running my own healthy meal-prep and catering company before founding Shaka Kitchen, K Kooks. Each chapter shaped my approach—organized, intentional, ingredient-driven, and deeply focused on the guest experience.

In 2015, a cancer diagnosis profoundly changed my relationship with food and wellness. I adopted a plant & protein-forward lifestyle and deepened my commitment to cooking that feels both nourishing and indulgent—food that supports health without sacrificing flavor or joy. This philosophy continues to guide everything I create, from intimate private chef dinners to large-scale events.

My cooking is rooted in seasonality, balance, and simplicity, blending elevated technique with warmth and ease. I believe the best meals are the ones that allow people to slow down, feel taken care of, and truly enjoy the moment around the table.

I now live at the Jersey Shore with my husband, Kevin, and our dog, Luna. Outside the kitchen, I love lifting weights, walking, pilates, yoga, hiking, reading, and being near the water, listening to music, and spending time with family and friends. I’m naturally a listener more than a talker, deeply spiritual, and I believe everything happens for a reason.

Whether I’m cooking in your home or leading Shaka Kitchen forward, my goal is simple: to create meaningful food experiences that bring people together and stay with them long after the meal ends.

I can’t wait to meet you, share a glass of wine, some laughs and a delicious meal.

X,

Chef Kiersten