Downtown Spartanburg’s food renaissance has attracted another talented chef.
Joel and Lenora Sansbury, owners of The Farmer’s Table, announced they have hired Haydn Shaak, formerly the chef de cuisine at Greenville-based Table 301’s Soby’s New South Cuisine.
Shaak, 33, originally of York, Penn., will officially join the Sansbury’s popular farm-to-table eatery on Nov. 14, and will help lead its relocation to the 5,000-square-foot space in the Gilbert & Son Co. Building at 149 S. Daniel Morgan Avenue.
“This is very exciting for us,” said Lenora Sansbury. “I’ve known Haydn for a long time. When we talked about doing this, we knew it would be something good, not only for The Farmer’s Table, but for Spartanburg. He pairs extremely well with what we hope to accomplish here.”
The Sansbury’s opened their dining concept almost six years ago.
In September, the couple announced their plans to move out of their original 2,500-square-foot space in the Farmer’s Marketplace shopping center off Kennedy Street due to their restaurant’s growth.
They plan to double their staff from 21 to 42 employees, with hiring expected to begin later this year.
The Farmer’s Table will remain open in its original space until late December. The Sansbury’s will open in their new space across the street from downtown Spartanburg’s new AC Hotel in early January.
After the move, the couple will be able to accommodate 250 diners, compared with 99 in their current space.
“With this move, we will basically have a blank canvas on which to create our future vision,” Joel Sansbury said. “While diners will still be able to order many of their favorite dishes, Haydn’s expertise and creativity will provide them with a range of new experiences. We couldn’t be happier that he is joining us.”
The owners said Shaak will be involved in every aspect of the kitchen. He will be essential to maintaining existing relationships and forming new ones with the local farms and vendors that provide The Farmer’s Table with fresh ingredients.
“I’ve known Lenora for about 10 years – since we worked together at City Range [in Spartanburg],” Shaak said. “We’ve been tossing this idea around for a couple of years… I felt like this was the right time. I think Spartanburg is ready. This is going to be the next food niche, the next scene in South Carolina.”
Shaak said his wife, Abbey Shaak, will also join the team.
“She has always been like my sous chef,” he said.
The couple has two children, and Shaak said their decision to join The Farmer’s Table was influenced by their desire to have a healthy work life-family life balance.
“It’s always a tough decision for a chef whether you want to be driven by your family or your career,” he said. “It’s difficult to find a middle ground. This move for me is kind of bittersweet. I’ve had some great years at Table 301 and will miss all of the great people I’ve met, but I am looking forward to this new opportunity.”
Shaak moved to Simpsonville during his senior year in high school. After he graduated from Mauldin he enrolled in the culinary program at Greenville Technical College.
But the food business has always been a big part of his life, as his father, Bob Shaak, is also a chef.
“I grew up around it,” he said. “I grew up knowing what good food was.”
Shaak took part in an apprenticeship program under his dad at City Range. He said he started as a dishwasher and eventually worked his way up to executive chef.
That led him to become a sous chef with The Cliffs at Keowee Falls and then an executive chef at Holiday Retirement in Greenville.
In 2014, he joined High Cotton in Greenville as an executive sous chef.
The following year, Shaak landed at Soby’s.
“I really think during the next five to 10 years Spartanburg is going to change dramatically, and the The Farmer’s Table will be well-positioned near the heart of a new food mecca,” he said. “Sure, I have some ideas. But The Farmer’s Table will continue to be what it has always been – a place to find great quality food with a story behind it.”
