Pacific Business News: Maui chef shares journey from farm to TV

By Katie Helland – Reporter, Pacific Business News

Zach Laidlaw can put executive chef and television show contestant on his resume. Most recently, he was one of the contestants in the latest season of Gordon Ramsay’s TV show, “Next Level Chef,” which debuted on Jan. 28. He is also the executive chef and vice president of experiences at the Lahaina-based Hua Momona Farms.

The Aug. 8 Maui wildfires, which left 100 people dead and destroyed most of Lahaina town, impacted the farm, which closed 18 of its 60 sales accounts with restaurants, food trucks and private chefs, Laidlaw said.

After the fires, Hua Momona Farms pivoted to serving meals to displaced Lahainans and brought on Chef Jason Raffin, founder of the Chef Collective, a group of chefs that came together to feed vulnerable communities during the Covid-19 pandemic. The farm’s Hua Momona Foundation also partnered with another nonprofit, Hungry Heroes Hawaii, to help feed those displaced by the fires. With the help of volunteers, the farm prepares meals and HHH distributes them, Laidlaw said. To date, the partnership has served about 30,000 meals, he added.

Laidlaw spoke with Pacific Business News about trends in agriculture, the impacts of the wildfires and plans for the future.

What are you currently responsible for in this role? I take care of all of the private events we do on the farm. I oversee operations with greenhouse management, sales and work with Chef Raffin [to help feed those in Lahaina who are] displaced.

What trends are you seeing in agriculture right now? Being an organically managed farm takes a lot of labor, but honestly, that’s the way to go — and to control what you put into your food. That is the future right there. … I really do think that people are more health-conscious nowadays. You hear a lot about microgreens at farmer’s markets and a lot of health stores — and eating healthy. People are super health-conscious, and they want to look good and they want to feel good. It’s more about longevity, and it all starts with your diet.

You started your career in the kitchen but as an executive chef, you also handle more of the business side of the farm. How did you build that skill set? I’ve been cooking for about 18 years all around the world. I met the owner of the farm, Gary Grube, back in 2016 at a restaurant I was working [at] Chicago. He mentioned that he was starting a farm out in Maui. … I wanted to actually step out of the busy kitchens to start learning about how to grow my own food … and how to do things the proper way.

What strategies are you using to find and retain employees? It’s such a niche market on Maui, especially being on a farm and all. Honestly, you have to treat your employees with respect. You have to make sure they’re very well paid. … Everyone wants a sense of purpose. I think that’s what people want more than anything right now. So having them be a part of the big picture – that is what people are looking for.

How was the farm impacted by the wildfires on Maui? The day of the fires, I went up to the farm around 5:30 [a.m.], and we had extreme winds that day. It completely ripped off our roof on our 4,000-square-foot greenhouse. It literally ripped it right down the middle, folded it like a book. I basically walked into the farm [and it looked] like a tornado hit it. … We shut down sales for three months. The rest of the island was reaching out to us, but we were in such weird times. We were thinking about what to do next. What are the next steps? We knew that it was the right thing to do to start feeding all the Lahainans displaced. So, we brought on Chef Jason Raffin. He’s the founder of Chef Collective, and we partnered up with him, and we just started pumping out meals like crazy.

Is there anything else you want to share? I just want to bring awareness back to Maui. I feel like you don’t really hear about it on the news anymore. That’s why a big part of this TV show [is me] trying to bring awareness back to Maui: “Hey, we’re still here. We still need help. We still need funding. We need all the support we can.”

Grieving takes a long time. A lot of people grieve differently. And I know the world is crazy right now with tragedies all over, but please, please, please do not forget about Maui.

To volunteer or help fund the program to feed displaced residents of Lahaina, go to: helpsavemaui.org.

https://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/2024/02/08/executive-insight-chef-zach-laidlaw.html

Chef Zach Laidlaw

Executive chef and vice president of experiences, Hua Momona Farms

Address: 246 Keoawa St., Lahaina HI 96761

Phone: 808-862-6284

Website: huamomonafarms.com