Chef Chat with Benjamin Wood

Benjamin Wood, chef de cuisine at The Commons, grew up surrounded by kitchens. A major part of his childhood consisted of following in his father’s footsteps, who also followed his passion for cooking and has been a chef for 45 years. “My dad was the head chef at Ridgemont Country Club for a good part of my childhood,” Chef Wood said, “and visiting that kitchen was a bedrock for what led me into becoming a chef myself.”

“It stuck with me,” Chef Wood said. “I’ve always thought of myself as being a chef, never really considered anything else.”

Wood aspired to gain new experiences and opportunities ever since he started out in the restaurant industry as a dishwasher.

After studying at Monroe Community College, Chef Wood quickly went hunting for some real-life experience in the local restaurant business. Over the next few years, he learned a variety of skills, including serving food, preparing ingredients, bulk cooking, and was in charge of cooking and maintaining the Asian hot bar as a wokery cook at Wegmans for four years.

In March of 2020, he became a cook at RIT, where he was responsible for serving entrees at The Commons. After a year, he was promoted to sous chef and then moved into his current role as a chef de cuisine.

According to Chef Wood, his rapid rise to the top is mainly thanks to his main motivator: the students. He loves being on a college campus and being part of putting on events at The Commons, like BBQ & Blues, or getting the opportunity to participate in the American Culinary Federation (ACF) cooking competition. “RIT has allowed me to learn and grow as a chef and reach a level I have aspired to attain,” Chef Wood stated, “There’s a lot to love about working at RIT, but the one thing that stands out is the students, they teach me a lot.”

Another source of Chef Wood’s triumph in the kitchen is the lessons he’s picked up from his role models Don LaFlam, executive director of RIT Dining, and Trevor Smart, general manager of The Commons. The chef credits LaFlam and Smart with teaching him leadership skills that help him make critical decisions, with LaFlam being a template for how he wants to grow and succeed career-wise, and Smart being someone who mentors him in the day-to-day to support his personal and professional development. 

Outside of his experiences at RIT, Chef Wood has found Instagram to be a valuable place for grasping what’s working and what’s not in the culinary world.

“We eat with our eyes,” Chef Wood said. “It helps me get an understanding of what the most forward-thinking chefs are creating. It also helps me know what students are into.”

When he isn’t cooking, you’ll find Chef Wood playing video games. His perfect night is spent with his RGB keyboard and a few rounds of Overwatch. He also enjoys spending time taking in the views around Cobbs Hill Park with his girlfriend.

Chef Wood thanks his staff for the tight-knit family they are and cannot wait to bring it on during 2024 by “serving the best food on campus!”