Ülfet Özyabasligil Ralph named Executive Chef at Magee Homestead at Brush Creek Luxury Ranch Collection
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 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.
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.
