Ted Deptula

Teddy Fresh was born surrounded by farms in Lancaster County, PA. It was whipping up batches of fresh peach salsa every summer harvest alongside his mother for which he attributes developing a passion for cooking. At 15 Ted found a position as a short order cook and worked every available shift to learn. Imagine a montage where the hard realities of a fast paced kitchen run up against the indefatigable naivety of a young buck who can't be kept down. Maybe the soundtrack is Springsteen. Maybe it's NOFX...

He eventually sought formal training at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. The stakes were raised, the pressure was dialed up. It was time to learn: knife skills, sauces and whether or not all he had was passion or real, competitive culinary talent. Thankfully, for us, it was the latter. 

Fast forward a bit and Ted followed his family to Rehoboth Beach, soon grabbing a mentorship from local culinary stars Kevin Reading and Hari Cameron at the beloved Nage Restaurant. The pace was fast and the expectations were formidable. It was the type of environment that inspires appreciation for a cold beer after one's shift. Kevin, Hari and Ted enjoyed quite a few.

Eventually, after serving as Executive Chef for five years at Nage (at only 26), Ted married his flair for enlivening classic dishes and his love of beer as the head of culinary at The Hammock. Known around the brewpub for his adventurous spirit, fun-loving attitude and joy of a good argument, Ted continues to mine the great American cookout for new favorites.

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