Who We Are
For over 20 years, Peter Platt and Meredith Kennard have been making their mark in the dynamic hospitality and food scene in the Berkshire Hills. During that time, Peter’s work as one of the top Chefs in the region has been met with unalloyed praise.
Peter Platt, a graduate of Williams College, learned his craft at the Parker House Hotel in Boston under the guidance of Jasper White and Lydia Shire. This beginning was notably followed by a twelve year stint as executive chef at Wheatleigh in Lenox, Massachusetts, the renowned Lenox property well known for its exceptional cuisine. Peter accepted the position as executive chef at The Old Inn on the Green in 2002, transforming the restaurant into a top destination for diners in the region. In 2005, Peter and Meredith purchased the Old Inn from former owner Bradford Wagstaff and Leslie Miller. Peter and Meredith then went on to purchase the Southfield Store from Tim Newman in order to have a dedicated baking kitchen and continue to operate the store as a café serving breakfast, lunch, and sometimes dinner.
Platt describes his cuisine as “innovative American,” based on French technique. Like the Inn itself, Platt strikes a balance between tradition and innovation. He brings a classically informed sensibility and a strong sense of the past to his menu at The Old Inn. For the past four years, The Old Inn on the Green has received Zagat’s top food ranking in the Berkshires. Recently, Travel & Leisure named the property one of “30 Great U.S. Inns” and Food & Wine listed the Inn as one of “America’s Top 50 Hotel Restaurants.” As chef and owner of the Old Inn on the Green, Peter will honor the Inn’s tradition fine and classic food.
Peter has attracted significant national press attention over the years and earned a list of accolades in publications including The New York Times Magazine, Wine Spectator, Town & Country and Departures. He is a board member and supporter of Berkshire grown, an organization promoting organic farming and sustainable agriculture working to connect local farmers and area chefs.
Meredith Kennard, an Emerson College graduate, came to the Berkshires with Peter in 1985 as Director of Chatham House, a group home for the Berkshire County Association for Retarded Citizens. After eight years in that position, Meredith began working at Hancock Shaker Village in the Farm and Garden Department. After three seasons she became Assistant Farm and Garden Coordinator. With a passion for historic farming and gardening, she eventually came to be Gardens Manager, directly responsible for two period gardens, one of the world’s largest Shaker medicinal herb gardens, field crops and an heirloom seed program.
Peter and Meredith are continuing the long tradition of classic New England hospitality that is personified in The Old Inn on the Green and The Southfield Store.