Prior to leading The Bluebird, Chef Hawkins amassed a long list of career highlights, including tenures as executive chef to Elvis Presley Enterprises and nationally-ranked golf resort, Victoria National Golf Club. He has appeared on the Food Network with Bobby Flay, the Discovery Channel, Travel Channel, and numerous Kentucky television stations.

Chef Hawkins developed his passion for natural foods while serving at Victoria National. A sudden and steep decline in his health led to a diagnosis of Crohn’s syndrome. He began to test treatment options and saw remarkable improvement as he limited himself to natural foods and eliminated harmful chemicals from his diet. The realization that his quality of life was under attack by the industrialized ingredients he used every day was powerful and moved him to action.

Around the same time, Jess and Angela Correll were searching for an executive chef for their new restaurant, with an emphasis on local foods and featuring humanely-processed meat from nearby Marksbury Farm. When they met, it was clear to Chef Hawkins and the Corrells that their values were aligned. From their partnership and commitment to the same vision, the Bluebird was born.