Chef Ülfet joins Magee Homestead from another Relais & Châteaux property, Camden Harbour Inn, in Camden, Maine, where she served as Executive Sous Chef from November 2018
Magee Homestead, the adults-only, boutique wellness retreat that is part of Wyoming’s award-winning Brush Creek Luxury Ranch Collection– as well as part of the Relais & Châteaux Collection and a Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star hotel – announced today that Ülfet Özyabasligil Ralph has been named Executive Chef, overseeing Magee Homestead’s food & beverage program as well as its popular culinary experiences lineup.
Sitting on 7,000 acres of historic Wyoming ranchlands in the high mountain desert, Magee Homestead embraces the art of living through curated experiences that provide the ultimate in romance, indulgence and relaxation. The nine individual cabins and private lodge feature contemporary rustic furnishings and décor as well as unmatched views of the surrounding landscape. The Homestead’s supreme privacy and all-inclusive experience is designed for adult individuals or couples and also offers a “Rent the Homestead” private buyout option for intimate weddings, vow renewals, corporate retreats and multi-generational family vacations for up to 29 guests.
“We are thrilled to welcome Chef Ülfetto to Magee Homestead,” said Jeremy Belnap, proprietor of Magee Homestead. “Not only does she have a great culinary resume but she has experience within the Relais & Châteaux family. Chef Ülfet’s natural style and personality complements the culinary program that guests have come to love at Magee and we think she will be a perfect fit on both a personal and professional level.”
Chef Ülfet joins Magee Homestead from another Relais & Châteaux property, Camden Harbour Inn, in Camden, Maine, where she served as Executive Sous Chef from November 2018. Prior to that, she spent a number of years in the south including Obstinate Daughter in South Carolina and Little St. Simon’s Island in Georgia and graduated from Culinary Institute of Charleston in 2011 with a degree in Culinary Arts. While in culinary school, Chef Ülfet worked as a tournant/saucier at Peninsula Grill at Planters Inn, also a Relais & Châteaux property, where she first became familiar with the association. Chef Ülfet also attended the French Culinary Institute in New York to study Hydrocolloids under David Arnold and followed her desire to learn more about our food system in depth to the Cornell University School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, where she earned a concentration in Genetically Modified Organisms in 2017. Other accomplishments include two Silver Medals at the ACF Culinary Competition (2009, 2010); Best Chef in Asheville Food and Wine Festival (2014); Host Chef for Travel & Leisure Channel’s Illegal Eater Charleston episode (2013); and twice a competitor on Food Network’s Cutthroat Kitchen (2015, 2016). Chef Ülfet has had opportunities to travel and work under highly acclaimed chefs to study a variety of cuisines, unique styles, and different approaches to master her craft. She was born in Istanbul, Turkey, where she developed her cooking skills specializing in Mediterranean Cuisine.
In her first year, Chef Ülfet will begin to get her feet under her and start to influence Magee Homestead’s menus. She will also collaborate with Chef Angus McIntosh, Executive Chef of The Farm at Brush Creek, during the property’s 2020 culinary experiences series which will be hosted with The Farm at Brush Creek and include:
- June 11 – 13: Weekend with Chef Nathan Rich of Twin Farms and Colgin Cellars
- July 16 – 18: Weekend with Bevan Cellars
- July 23 – 25: Guest Chef weekend with Chef Zachary Ludwig of the Inn at Dos Brisas
- August 13 – 15: Wine weekend with Joseph Phelps
- September 12 – 14: Wine weekend with Opus One
“Having an opportunity to work at Magee Homestead is like a dream come true,” said Chef Ülfet Özyabasligil Ralph. “The natural beauty of the ranch combined with the resources they have available for the culinary program – including the ranch-raised Wagyu beef and the extensive organic greenhouse system – are rare to find. I believe everyone’s success is the reflection of the environment that we live in, and Magee Homestead gives you that gift to achieve greatness.”
