Executive chef Aaron London

Aaron London
Executive Chef

At under 30 years of age, Chef Aaron London already brings more than a dozen years of culinary experience to his position as executive chef at Ubuntu, the Michelin-starred “vegetable” restaurant in Napa, CA. Growing up in Sonoma County, CA, London always dreamed of becoming a chef and as a teenager, London cooked for just about anybody who’d eat his food—friends, family members, even neighbors. Finally, at 14, he got his first job as a dishwasher at a Mexican restaurant in his hometown.

From there, London attended the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, NY, and, on weekends during school, took the train down to New York City to stage at top restaurants such as Daniel and Café Boulud. After completing his first term in 2002, he worked for six months in a full-time externship at Daniel before moving to Montréal (where his Grandmother Cook lived) in 2003. North of the border, London helped open Restaurant Au Pied de Cochon, which still regarded as one of the city’s top eateries. In 2004, London moved to Restaurant Toque, and after a year and a half as a Chef de Partie, London returned to the U.S. to complete his schooling at CIA and work at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, in Pocantico Hills, NY.

In 2007, London took some time to recharge and think about what he wanted to do next. After some time back in Northern California’s Wine Country, he flew to Europe, where he bicycled from one country to another, staging at restaurants along the way. He lingered under the tutelage of Chef Pascal Barbot at Astrance in Paris, and also spent time at Chef Alain Passard’s L’Arpège. Following Paris London staged at La Chassagnette in Provence, well known for its garden to table menu. Later in the trip, while in San Sebastian, Spain, London received word from his father about the opening of Ubuntu. Seeing Ubuntu as a potentially his “dream restaurant,” he was soon on a plane back to the U.S.

London started at Ubuntu during the restaurant’s fourth week of business as a line cook, and later became a sous chef before moving to executive sous chef. Finally, he was promoted to chef de cuisine under Jeremy Fox, the restaurant’s former executive chef, and served in that role for nearly a year before assuming the lead spot in the kitchen.

London lives in Napa and is an avid bicyclist.

Carl Swanson

Carl Swanson
Pastry Chef

Carl Swanson’s career in pastry began at Manresa, Chef David Kinch’s two-starred Michelin restaurant in Los Gatos, California on fortuitous day when the Pastry Chef was in need of extra assistance. Swanson quickly made the transition from peeling carrots and shelling peas to assisting Manresa’s Pastry Chef in the execution of the seasonally driven, modern desserts. Quickly, Swanson was hooked on pastry.

Following Manresa, Swanson made the move north to Healdsburg to work pastry at the two-starred Michelin restaurant Cyrus before leaving to open Ubuntu restaurant in Napa as Pastry Assistant under Deanie Hickox, his mentor at Manresa.

“Opening Ubuntu was a unique opportunity to work with a team of people I was close to and greatly admired and I knew I would be joining a team with incredible strength and creativity,” says Swanson.

At Ubuntu, Swanson worked closely with Hickox to craft a menu that layered complex flavors and textures to reinvent the seasonal produce from Ubuntu’s own biodynamic garden, in turn creating several desserts that would takes guests back to their youth with surprising renditions of childhood favorites.

Continuing his work in the Napa Valley Swanson later assumed the position of Pastry Assistant at The Restaurant at Meadowood located at the famed resort of the same name in St. Helena, California. Soon after, Swanson was promoted to Pastry Chef at the two-starred Michelin restaurant.

In winter of 2009 Carl Swanson returned to Ubuntu and the following February he was promoted to Pastry Chef where he thrives on using local, unique ingredients to craft seasonal, playful desserts such as his TCHO Bête Noir with olive oil ice cream, rosemary peanuts and
seckel pear and coming up with new flavors of ice creams.

Carl Swanson lives in Napa, just a few blocks from the restaurant, and in his free time enjoys traveling and spending time with his family.

Jeff Dawson, garden curator and
Rose Robertson, gardener

Jeff Dawson
Garden Curator

Jeff Dawson has been practicing horticulture for over 30 years. He began his career in landscaping and nursery work in the early 1970’s. His interest in organic foods led him to create an organic farm in Sonoma County in 1988. Over a ten-year period he supplied gourmet produce to San Francisco restaurants such as Chez Panisse, Aqua, Postrio, Stars and the Lark Creek Inn. During this time he developed an interest in heirloom vegetable varieties and became an avid seed saver working with Seed Savers Exchange to preserve and promote rare and endangered seeds.

In 1993 he was hired as Director of Gardens at the Fetzer Vineyards Valley Oaks Garden Project where he oversaw a five-acre, organic, demonstration garden. Working with the culinary staff, he developed a refined palate and a talent for pairing food with wine.

He was hired by Jess Jackson of Kendal-Jackson Winery in 1996 to design and develop a culinary garden at the winery’s hospitality center in Santa Rosa, California. During this time he began practicing biodynamic gardening on the Jackson Family ranch.

In 1999 he was offered the opportunity to develop a private, biodynamic fruit and vegetable garden for Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs. He spent two years honing his skills at biodynamic gardening and was then offered at job at Copia, the American Center for Food, Wine and the Arts.

As Curator of Gardens, Dawson designed and developed the Center’s two-and-a-half acre biodynamic demonstration garden. He was responsible for creating and teaching classes such as Winter Pruning, Organic Gardening, Composting, Food and Wine Pairing, and, everyone’s favorite, Lunch with the Gardeners. During this time he began biodynamic consultations with some of the Napa Valley’s premiere vineyards. Working with the Araujo Estate, Quintessa Vineyards, Frog’s Leap, and Staglin Vineyards, Dawson implemented biodynamic programs to improve the quality of these estate’s products.

Jeff was asked to design and install the biodynamic production gardens for Ubuntu restaurant the summer before it’s opening. Working closely with the chefs and head gardener Rose Robertson, the Ubuntu garden became a highly productive source for some of the finest produce in Northern California.

Dawson has used his membership in the Seed Savers Exchange to acquire rare and exotic herb and vegetable varieties which have thrived in the Ubuntu garden.

Jeff Dawson now also works as Curator of Gardens at the Round Pond Estate, a 300 acre winegrowing property in Rutherford, California. As Curator he is responsible for managing the estate gardens using organic and biodynamic practices.

Rose Robertson
Gardener

Growing up on 20 acres in the Sierra Foothills, Rose got an early introduction to life on a farm. Her passion for growing food was ingrained at an early age, thanks to her parents. Although childhood chores of pulling weeds were not among her favorites, she learned to appreciate the value of growing one’s own food and eating healthy. Some of her fondest memories as a young girl took place in the garden: collecting eggs, fresh raspberries and cream, canning tomatoes, and harvesting fresh honey warmed by the sun.

After moving away from home and completing an education at UC Santa Barbara, she quickly learned that her “office” job was not the direction she wanted to go. It wasn’t long after that that she began working on the famous urban farm, Fairview Gardens in Goleta, Calif. There she learned how to produce quality organic produce on a large scale, supplying local restaurants, farmers markets and the community-supported agriculture program. The farm also served as a learning center for the community, providing tours and after school work programs. Rose settled in as the organization’s market coordinator and field worker.

After a six year stint in Southern California, she felt compelled to move back north. In the fall of 2007, she came to Ubuntu Gardens, where she’s since been immersed in the world of biodynamics and direct kitchen/garden interaction.

The Ubuntu philosophy is itself a lifestyle and Rose is thrilled to be collaborating with such a devoted team. She takes great pride in being able to see her fresh produce transformed into an artful expression of the garden on a plate.

Ubuntu Kitchen staff in the garden