Poe & Co. Elevates the Season
From the Kitchen to the Campfire, Poe & Co. Helps You Enjoy Gourmet Food Wherever You Are
Gathering friends for an al fresco meal is one of the best ways to celebrate summer on the Central Coast and, as any great host knows, delicious food is essential to its success. In fact, it’s often what people remember the most. For chefs Jamie and Jayson Poe, the wife-and-husband team behind Poe & Co., crafting memorable meals isn’t just their profession, it’s a fulfilling way to share their passions for seasonal food, community and the outdoors.
Through Poe & Co. Catering and their offshoot brand, Folk Foods, the Poes help people elevate everything from dinner parties to weddings and even camping experiences, all while channeling the relaxed, seasonal mentality of the region.
Before launching Poe & Co., the duo already had impressive culinary resumes. Jayson, a graduate of Tulane University and the New England Culinary Institute, launched his career in Michelin-starred kitchens in New York City. Jamie, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, also honed her skills at some of New York City’s top Michelin restaurants. After relocating to Napa at different times, they met in 2015 while Jayson was sous chef at Solbar and Jamie was working as a private chef and managing a boutique olive oil company. A job opportunity in Santa Barbara—a place Jamie had visited while growing up in Los Angeles—brought the newly engaged couple south.
While they quickly fell in love with the Santa Barbara area, maintaining balance in the restaurant industry proved challenging—particularly as they began thinking about starting a family. “Jayson and I both come from fine-dining backgrounds, but we had to figure out how two professional chefs could make family life work,” says Jamie. “As we prepared to start a family, we knew we wanted more control over our future—especially in a place like Santa Barbara, where you have to get creative to make it all work.” Catering, they felt, offered that flexibility. “It allowed us to stay connected to what we love—food, creativity and community—while building a life as parents.”
Stepping away from the restaurant world, they founded Poe & Co. in 2018, intent on offering an intimate, personalized culinary experience to the local community. Since then, the couple has fulfilled that goal, building a reputation for crafting quality food that brings people together. “Our style is seasonal Californian—colorful, locally sourced and fresh,” says Jamie. “We aren’t going for perfection; everything is intentionally made, but we like to balance elegance with approachability.”
Rooted in that spirit of accessibility, the Poes also offer weekly meal delivery throughout Santa Barbara, Goleta, Montecito and Carpinteria—a community staple during the pandemic that remains a popular part of their business.
Always looking to push themselves creatively, in early 2023 the Poes expanded their offerings with Folk Foods, a line of gourmet, plant-based camping meals. “As chefs and recreational campers ourselves, we felt there was a huge void in the camping food sector for nutritious, flavorful meals that are not just easy to make but also enjoyable,” says Jayson. “That propelled us to find a better alternative: We wanted to create a convenient meal that contained real ingredients, was great tasting and wouldn’t require dishes.”
Today, Folk Foods offers three vegan, just-add-water meals designed to elevate al fresco dining. Flavors include the Black Garlic Ramen Bowl, Coconut Chickpea Stew and Quinoa Sweet Potato Skillet, each with enough calories, fiber and protein to keep anyone satiated in the great outdoors.
From raising two kids to running multiple businesses, the Poes remain appreciative of the life they’ve built. “Being able to live, work and raise our family in a place we love is something we never take for granted,” says Jamie. “The region’s incredible beauty, bounty and community continue to inspire us daily, and we’re grateful to play a small part in it all, helping bring people together around the table or campfire.”
