Palm Trees and Pan-Seared Grouper

A Peek into the Culinary World of Wycliffe Golf & Country Club’s Chef Christopher Park

by Fanny Slater

“Just try it.” These were the momentous words spoken to Chef Christopher Park by one of his mentors many years ago that helped shape him into the audacious culinary captain he is today. And just try it, he did. From dishwasher to undeniably driven teenager (balancing a full-time culinary education with 60-hour work weeks in a restaurant) to Saucier to running his own kitchen, Chef Christopher is no stranger to climbing his way up the professional ladder. In his present-day position as Executive Chef at Wycliffe—one of Florida’s premier country clubs—he diligently guards (even amidst a global pandemic) the needs and well-being of his members.

He trumpets his former teachers, the talent of his current team, and the stability of working in the country club industry for the success that surrounds him. Read on for his delightful, delicious story.

Chef Christopher Park | Executive Chef | Wycliffe Golf & Country Club | Wellington, FL

It sounds like you knew from a very early age that you wanted to be a chef. What are some of your earliest memories in the kitchen?

My parents have pictures of me standing on my tippy toes, making pancakes and eggs!

When I was 12, my mom worked for a catering company, and I tagged along. I would wash dishes, unload the trucks, and bus tables. I also got to taste some things I had never had before, and I started loving food.

It was interesting to see how they produced everything, especially because with most of the catering events, they went to different locations and had to work with whatever was available. And to see how they did it—whether in a tent outside or a small kitchen in someone’s house— was interesting for me.

From tagging along with a catering company to hopping into the kitchen at a Marriott, it sounds like you dove right into “mass food production.” Did you enjoy it?

I loved the rush of the business and bulk cooking. At the Marriott, I started as a dishwasher. One day, someone in the kitchen asked me to jump on the line. Soon after that (during my sophomore year in high school), I applied for culinary school at the Florida Culinary Institute.

Many culinary students wait until after they graduate to work in a kitchen, but you were way ahead of the game, right?

I was 18, living on my own, and had to support myself, so I needed to make sure I had enough money to pay for school. I was working 60 to 70 hours a week (while also attending classes). This gave me a taste of what the industry hours were like.

It was school, work, school, work, and back and forth. Our classes were about six hours, four days a week, and the teachers were very flexible with me so I could go to class in the morning if I had a night shift at work (and vice versa). I’d go to school, sometimes sleep in my car, and then head to work!

After culinary school, I worked at The Breakers (Palm Beach’s most luxurious and historic hotel) and became the saucier. I had the pleasure of working with a lot of talented chefs. 9/11 happened right around the time you were getting into your culinary groove. How did that affect your career path?

At this time, I was working at the Breakers, and