David Bancroft is the Executive Chef/Partner of Acre Restaurant in Auburn, Alabama and a 2016 James Beard Award nominee – Best Chef in the South. Born in Alabama but raised in San Antonio, Texas, David’s passion for cooking began at an early age, smoking brisket and making BBQ.
Acre is a celebration of all things local what products do you source from nearby farmers that you can’t grow in the restaurant’s garden?
I love the challenge of working as sustainable as possible. Acre is actually on one full acre of land. Currently, we grow apples, plums, peaches, pears, figs, persimmons, blueberries, blackberries, guava, Meyer lemon, Satsuma oranges, Arbequina olives, heirloom tomatoes, hot peppers, bay laurel, lemongrass, all herbs, edible flowers, carrots, beets, radishes, sugar snaps, peas, heirloom butterbeans, leeks, onions, collards, kale, cabbage, Swiss chard, crimson watermelon, pumpkins, cactus, cucumbers, and sweet corn. Even with all this growing on our acre, we are still obligated to purchase and provide the best of the season grown by local farming families. I think our Alabama grown heirloom tomatoes, blueberries, and peaches can rival produce from the best growers in the nation!
How have you seen the restaurant scene evolve in Alabama?
Alabama is going to surprise a lot of people in the next few years. What’s considered “farm-to-table” in a larger city is a standard of living and an obligation for a competitive restaurant in Alabama. This same trend that is leading “big city” chefs to smaller cities will continue to drive southern raised chefs back home to re-establish the connection to their food sources and tap into their culture and heritage.
You grow everything from apples to zipper peas – what is your favorite season for produce or favorite heirloom/heritage product?
I adore the transition from spring to summer. The blend of the two seasons never fails to provide a magical world of bright and beautiful colors for chefs to paint with. Beautiful strawberries, snap peas, zucchini, then through the woods for fiddleheads, morels and chanterelles, and then…the heirloom tomatoes!
You grew up in San Antonio Texas. Do you have a favorite childhood comfort food?
My “go-to” snack in San Antonio was always bean & cheese soft tacos with hot sauce. However, pepperoni pizza is the most nostalgic comfort food on the planet!
Is there a particular signature or favorite dish of yours on the menu?
We partner with the Auburn University Meat Laboratory to provide the best local humanely raised animals for our charcuterie program. We work tirelessly to butcher, cure, and ferment, smoke, dry age, preserve and honor these ancient techniques to improve our craft. We feature several different house cured meats, local cheeses, pickles, jams, and relishes on a long wooden plank affectionately named the ‘Solid Oak Sampler’. The lumber used for this smorgasbord was harvested from my Grandpa Kennedy’s catfish farm in south Alabama. We lined the walls of the restaurant with oak trees where my older brothers and I grew up bow hunting. During construction, when the framers were trimming the planks around doors and windows, I collected the scrap wood and prepared them into service platters.
What food organizations are you involved with in Auburn?
Co-founder for Auburn University SlowFood
Auburn University ‘Office of Sustainablity’
Founder of the ‘Alabama Oyster Social‘
Auburn Univeristy School of Agriculture
Auburn University School of Fisheries
Auburn University Hospitality/Restaurant Management Program
Hosanna Home & His Place
Acre Farmer’s Market (Hosted on-site, free setup markets for local farmers)
Is there anything about the future of farm-to-table that might surprise us?
I don’t know that there is much surprise left to explore about the introduction of the term “farm-to-table”. If you are not buying the best local produce during the height of your growing season then its tough to be a competitor. Even beyond “healthy” competition between chefs, if you aren’t stressing support of local food systems it should be considered irresponsible. I hope that the stress of this “new” old school standard sparks a trend of large produce companies reverting back to our roots and the way that grandpa used to do it!
What has been the most rewarding moment of your career thus far?
I can’t explain how valuable my family is to my career. When we were dreaming up ‘Acre’, the support and mentor-ship was integral to every detail in our food, decor, ambiance, values, and all of the character.
Learn more about Exectuive Chef David Bancroft at his Chef’s Roll Profile HERE.
