Meet Chef James Gop of Heirloom Fire Catering

With training from Manhattan’s Institute of Culinary Education and a background in special make-up effects and design, Chef James Gop devises foodie events like no others. The brains behind Heirloom Fire catering, all of his cooking takes place outdoors, rain or shine, over an open fire—on apparatuses he built by hand. With careful thought and intention, he leans into the landscape, seasons, and the reason for the gathering to create an immersive dining experience that teeters on the edge of live theater. This might translate to walking, exploratory cocktail hours, or locally sourced dishes that, through flavor and presentation, tell the story of a couple’s courtship. We sat down with James Gop, a member of our Chefs Table, which serves as a source of culinary news and information, to discover how he arrived at his distinctive style and where we can experience it for ourselves.

Hudson Valley magazine: What were your early influences in the food world?

Chef James Gop: My mother cooked big, hearty meatloaves, mashed potatoes, and mac ‘n’ cheese, but on holidays, my grandmother (who lived with us) busted out these other dishes and prepped for four days. This struck me; I noticed her rituals, which were so different from her day-to-day behavior. As I got into food, myself, I realized this was a form of caretaking and hospitality, and that resonated with me.

HV: How did you get into food?

JG: I’m from a working-class family and had no plans for college; I just wanted a job. I started out at Guido’s Fresh Marketplace in Great Barrington, MA, which is like the Whole Foods of the Berkshires, and I watched the owner letting customers sample different foods. I got excited about the idea of sharing knowledge about food and ingredients with others. And when I really liked someone, like a pretty girl, I would bake them something to show I cared.

HV: After culinary school, did you get a job as a chef?

JG: I worked at high-end, farm-to-table restaurants in the Berkshires. When I do something, I want to be the best at it, so I worked very hard, but got burned out. I took a break from restaurants to work at bed and breakfasts and on a farm for a year.

HV: How did you go from fine dining and B&Bs to cooking over an open fire?

JG: A friend asked me if I could help him at a pig roast. Cooking in the great outdoors…the grilled vegetables…the smell of smoke. I helped him a few more times, and then I was asked to cook for Uma Thurman at a farm estate in Staatsburg. So, I built an oven in four days. A real workhorse, modeled after the infiernillo rigs of the Gauchos of South America: three tiers, steel plates, fire on top and bottom, and a convection oven in the middle.

“Growing up around working farms, Mother Nature became my biggest source of inspiration.”

HV: What was so appealing about fire?

JG: When you smell fire, it triggers something in your being; we were hunter-gatherers. Fire is the oldest heirloom, handed down from generation to generation. Growing up around the farms and forests of the Berkshires, Mother Nature became my biggest source of inspiration, and I developed a deep respect for the relationship between fire, food, and human connection. Fire and food are the gathering points for strangers to become a community.

HV: Most of your events are catered affairs, but how can a foodie get a taste of what you’re dishing out?

JG: I put on several ticketed, public events every year, including two on August 28 and 29, just over the Columbia County border in Stockbridge, MA. For others, sign up for my newsletter.