John Moeller was born in 1960 and grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. After graduating from Lancaster Catholic High School and Willow Street Vo-Tech in 1979, he went on to Johnson & Wales in Providence, Rhode Island, graduating in 1981. During that time, he was apprenticing as a chef at the Host Corral Resort, and then the Pillar House in Boston, and the Welcome Restaurant in Providence. After graduation, he became head chef at the Welcome, sous chef at the Classic Restaurant and rounds chef at the Marriott, all in Providence.

In 1984, he moved to Dijon, France to attend the University of Dijon and trained at the L’ Escantcot Restaurant while attending classes. He then moved to work at Chez Camille, in Arnay, and worked his first grape harvest in 1985 in Meursault, Burgundy. He then moved to apprentice for six months under Great Chef Bernard Loiseau (who was the French chef of the year in 1984) at his Hotel de la Cote D’OR in Saulieu, France, and who later was featured on Great Chefs of France. Chef Moeller then went up to Brittany to work at the Le Temp de Vivre in Cleder, France.

In 1987, on his way back to the United States, he stopped off for six months in Christiansted, St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands to work at a small beach hotel outside of Christiansted, then back to Washington DC. In 1988-89 he worked as executive chef of the Four Ways Restaurant, then as lead chef in the Colonnade Restaurant in the Westin Hotel in D.C. until 1992.

In September of 1992, he was offered the job as executive sous chef at the White House and became the executive chef in 2005. You will have to read his book “Dining at the White House” to get all those details, which are fascinating.

In 2006 he was a private chef and caterer, and in 2010 began State of Affairs Catering in his home of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He teaches as an instructor at the CTC School of Mount Joy school district.

Great Chefs is proud to feature Chef Moeller, and look forward to taping him in the near future.