Neal Wavra Named F&B Manager at Goodstone Estate

Trained at Charlie Trotters & Blackberry Farm

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. November 20, 2008

NOVEMBER 20, 2008. The Goodstone Inn & Estate has appointed Neal J. Wavra food & beverage manager for the luxurious property located outside historic Middleburg. Simon Smith, general manager, made the announcement.

"I am so pleased to welcome Neal to The Goodstone Inn," said Mr. Smith. "He brings to his new role vast culinary experience and expert knowledge of exacting service standards gained at some of the nation's most respected restaurants. He is also a connoisseur of fine wines and will oversee the Inn's expansive wine cellar."

Mr. Wavra and the Inn's stellar culinary team will define a farm-to-table experience that is unique to the 265-acre estate, located in Virginia's storied hunt country. "The bounty of farm, field and forest will serve as both the substance and inspiration for the experience of each guest who visits The Goodstone Inn & Estate," states Mr. Wavra. "Our goal is an extraordinary culinary experience that strives for perfection and achieves excellence."

Although Neal Wavra began his career less than a decade ago working for the U.S. Department of Commerce, he quickly chose a more personally inspiring direction when he enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America, located in Hyde Park, New York. It was a career path that soon became his passion.

Mr. Wavra's education in the culinary arts continued following graduation. With the aid of two scholarships, he traveled the great wine producing regions of the United States and Europe, dining and tasting at each stop of the journey. The formative nature of this travel is the cornerstone of his understanding of the relationship between wine, the land and cuisine. Through Wavra's experience at home and abroad, he developed a deep appreciation of the synergy that exists when wines of place are paired with an equally thoughtful cuisine.

Wavra subsequently returned to his native Chicago and joined one of the nation's finest restaurants, Charlie Trotter's, where he mastered the art of personal service. Within seven months, he was promoted to dining room manager of the revered restaurant.

A strong desire to integrate all aspects of the culinary process brought him to the acclaimed Blackberry Farm of Walland, Tennessee. Here his focus was to develop the property's renowned farm-to-table culinary program and create related guest experiences. While at Blackberry Farm, Wavra also oversaw the fine dining room operation and led the opening of the property's newest restaurant, The Barn.

Neal Wavra is a graduate of Whitman College of Walla Walla, Washington, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in French Language and Literature. He received his Master of Arts degree in Commercial Diplomacy from The Monterey Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California. Mr. Wavra earned his Associates Degree in Occupational Studies in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America. A certified member of the Court of Master Sommeliers, he is the recipient of the Commanderie de Bordeaux Wine Scholarship and the Kopf Foundation Wine Excellence Scholarship. Neal Wavra has relocated to the environs of Middleburg.