About Jeff
Meet Jeff Raymond
I started Metta Personal Chef because I believe a great meal is about more than what’s on the plate. It’s about the care behind it and the people gathered around the table.
Before cooking full-time, I worked in the chemical industry, then as a professional brewer, then as a baker. I didn’t go to culinary school. I learned by doing, first in breweries and bakeries and then in home kitchens, and I bring that background with me: a precise, technical approach to the fundamentals, along with a playful attitude toward flavor. I love building menus around the best seasonal New England ingredients, drawing inspiration from travel, music, poetry, and the stories people share with me. I’m also a Certified Cicerone, the beer world’s version of a sommelier, so I think about beer with the same care and attention as wine and cocktails, and pairings of all three show up on my menus.
My goal is simple: a great dinner and an effortless evening, so all you have to do is sit back and enjoy your company. I’m looking forward to cooking for you!
- ServSafe® Food Protection Manager
- Allergen Awareness Certified
- Certified Cicerone® (beer sommelier)
- Insured through the Food Liability Insurance Program
Metta [noun]
A term in Buddhism often translated as “loving-kindness.” It is the sincere, unconditional wish for the welfare and happiness of all beings.
I feel that metta is the antidote to our divided world: meeting people as they actually are, with attention and compassion, rather than through our hardened ideas about them. I try my best to embody it in everything I do, and the kitchen is where it comes most naturally. There’s something about sharing a good meal that helps people set those ideas down and simply enjoy each other’s company. For me, a beautifully cooked meal and genuine hospitality are simply how I aim to express metta.