After working in a remote location near Atlanta for six years, Chef Derin Moore was ready to return to Florida, where he previously was executive chef at the Ritz-Carlton Resorts in Naples.
This fall, Moore became the director of culinary operations for Grey Oaks Country Club, which also includes the Estuary at Grey Oaks on a spread-out campus in Naples. “This was the long-term goal. Clubs like this don’t pop open very often,” said Moore, who was contacted by a hospitality recruiter.
A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Moore is a Certified Master Chef, one of only 67 in the United States to receive the highest level of certification a chef can receive from the American Culinary Federation. For the past six years, he was the culinary director at Reynolds Lake Oconee in Greensboro, Georgia, where he managed the resort’s multiple food outlets and mentored a team of 80 culinarians.
During Moore’s tenure as executive chef at The Ritz-Carlton resorts in Naples for nearly four years from 2007 to 2011, the local resorts maintained Mobil Five Star and AAA Five Diamond status. His award-winning creativity also was showcased in the World Culinary Olympics in Scotland, Switzerland and Germany, where he received 13 international awards and more than 30 domestic medals.
At Grey Oaks, Moore will lead an apprenticeship program for aspiring culinary students, along with developing a garden program and creating culinary travel opportunities for members. Moore brought in Tom Vaccaro as his executive pastry chef and he also hired four or five people from the Ritz for his staff of about 50.
Numerous local chefs have been mentored by Moore, who has maintained an extensive professional network. “Southwest Florida has a phenomenal food scene. I look forward to creating memorable experiences for our members and their guests in this progressive, talent-driven environment,” he said.
The Naples club is doing January numbers already with about 200 lunches each day and 300 dinners every night, Moore said. He expects to serve 700 to 1,000 people a day in season.
“The arrival of Certified Master Chef Derin Moore brings a new level of innovation to our club’s health and dining programs,” said Don Emery, general manager of Grey Oaks Country Club, in a news release. “Chef Moore’s dynamic energy and passion for staff development marks a new era of culinary excellence for us.”
Grey Oaks has been named one of the best private clubs in America. Amenities include three championship golf courses, a 30,000-square-foot wellness center, two clubhouses, a resort-style pool and tennis, pickleball and bocce courts.
