Meet the Chef

David Hussey is an award-winning chef from Sheffield, England, who now lives with his American wife, Julie, on their seven-acre rural property in Dade County, Georgia. Raised in a major city on the edge of the Peak District National Park, David developed an early love of the outdoors, bushcraft, fire, and cooking in nature—passions that have ultimately shaped the way he cooks and teaches today.

David began his culinary career in restaurant kitchens in the UK and Sydney, Australia, spending 15 years developing his craft in some of the most demanding environments in the industry. A talented artist as a teenager who also considered a career in the military, he found a natural fit in the restaurant kitchen, where creativity, discipline, precision, and teamwork come together. His career soon became an opportunity to travel the world and experience different cultures, ingredients, and culinary traditions, all of which continue to influence his cooking.

As his career progressed, David moved into executive chef and corporate culinary roles. He ran kitchens at prestigious private schools in the UK, including Eton College, before moving to London, where he worked at a senior level in corporate catering for major investment banks and financial institutions. Along the way, he earned industry recognition and awards for his work, as well as multiple gold medals in national culinary competitions.

David met Julie in Beijing, China, in 2019, while they were both working there. After returning to their respective countries, they maintained a long-distance relationship through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Eventually, David was granted a visa to move to New York City and join Julie in the United States.

In February 2025, the couple moved to rural Georgia, where David founded Steel Pioneer Fire Cooking on their seven-acre property, just 25 minutes from downtown Chattanooga. The cooking school brings together his decades of professional culinary experience with his lifelong connection to the outdoors, teaching guests how to cook like a chef over an open fire.

At Steel Pioneer, David creates immersive culinary experiences built around fire, seasonality, local ingredients, and the simple pleasure of cooking outdoors. Guests learn to build and manage fires, prepare ingredients, and cook restaurant-quality food over flame, often using produce and products sourced from farms and producers in the surrounding community.

Through Steel Pioneer Fire Cooking, David brings together three defining elements of his life—professional culinary expertise, a passion for the outdoors, and a love of teaching—to create memorable experiences that connect people with food, fire, nature, and each other.