Sean Brock Leaves Restaurant Group to Focus on Nashville Projects

Sean Brock is heading in a new direction. Effective August 1, the James Beard Award-winning chef will end his twelve-year partnership with Neighborhood Dining Group. According to a statement shared exclusively with Food & Wine, Brock is "resigning from his current role to focus on his own restaurant endeavors in Nashville, TN."

Brock will serve as "founding chef and culinary advisor" at the Husks in Charleston, Nashville, Greenville, and Savannah, but will no longer be involved with Minero, McCrady's, or McCrady's Tavern.

"I am so proud of the reputations we have built at each of the restaurants, and I'm excited for each member of the teams to carry the restaurants forward," Brock said in the statement. "I have full confidence in these chefs and know that they will continue to deliver the creative, locally-focused, ingredient-driven cuisine that our guests have enjoyed at the restaurants over the years."

NDG's President David Howard said, "It has been an honor and privilege to work alongside Sean for the past 12 years. I'm excited for his future, and I am thankful he will help us continue the legacy of Husk Restaurant ... We are so fortunate to have an amazing group of inspiring, skilled, and motivated Executive Chefs throughout our company. They cook in the restaurants every day and together have given NDG an impressive combined 38 years of service."

In the statement, Howard emphasized that the Husk experience will not change, as the chefs helming each location will continue to "write menus and manage their teams in the same manner they always have," in line with the founding philosophies of Brock. The newest (and fourth) location of Husk, in Savannah, Georgia, opened earlier this year.

During his time with Neighborhood Dining Group, Brock earned the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast, as well as multiple JBA nominations. While the chef hasn't yet revealed any details surrounding his upcoming Nashville projects, there's no question that the country will be watching closely to see what he does next.