Chef David Hussey’s passion for creative cooking over an open fire comes from years of experience in the kitchen and outdoors. “I grew up doing a lot of bushcraft, survival, and camping,” he explains. “I did those things while working as a chef as well. When I cooked outside, I would always bring fancy ingredients or do something cool on the fire.”
Up until he started Steel Pioneer Fire Cooking in February 2025, the majority of his career as a chef was spent in restaurant and catering kitchens. “I’m from the United Kingdom and worked the first half of my career in fine dining restaurants there before I moved into working in the corporate world,” David shares. “I was executive chef at Eton College before I transitioned to work in the catering side of the business sector.” However, as he became more accomplished in his career, his work included more of the aspects of being a chef he was less interested in—the elements aside from cooking—and led to David being burnt out.
He took a break by going to Southeast Asia for a time, which led him to working in Beijing, China, where he met his wife. “I was running the catering in a big international school in Beijing and she was working as a foreign correspondent for the Wall Street Journal,” David says. “We met internet dating while in Beijing just before COVID happened and we were sent back to our own countries.” Despite all the odds that seemed against them, David got sponsored for a job in New York City and was able to be with Julie again.
In New York, David continued working as a high-level corporate chef. After a few years, he and Julie decided they needed a change. “As I got more successful in my job, I was again doing less of the things I enjoyed doing—like the creative cooking—and more management,” he shares. “I had a discussion with Julie about how we could adjust our lives.” It was through this discussion that he came up with Steel Pioneer Fire Cooking.
After diligently searching for the perfect place to live and start the business, David and Julie moved to Dade County, Georgia—a 25-minute drive from downtown Chattanooga. On seven acres of beautiful land featuring a century-old barn, David began his business. “I use local produce from the area to teach people to cook like a chef on the open fire,” David explains. “We do live fire cooking classes and have elevated culinary experiences.” His classes are typically centered around an ingredient or theme, resulting in creative, unique experiences, all while using local produce to support the community David and Julie live in. “In my cooking classes, participants make a certain part of the main elements of the meal, and I make extra sides, dessert, and bread,” says David. “They get a fine dining experience alongside creating half of the menu on the fire.” With David bringing both 33 years of experience and his love for his craft and community to the table, each class is a joy both to him and his students.
Being able to share his lifelong passion for this kind of cooking is something David is incredibly grateful he’s able to do. “I spent 15 hours a day in a room with no windows for most of my career as a chef,” he says. “Now I’ve curated a job that's got all the things I love.”
The scheduled classes David offers are booked through his website, www.SteelPioneerFireCooking.com, where he details the theme for each class and more. In addition to his classes, he also does private classes, private chef experiences, and a 10-ticket dinner every two weeks called Secret Kitchen.
To connect with David and see what he’s cooking on the fire, check out Steel Pioneer Fire Cooking on Instagram and Facebook.
"Now I've curated a job that's got all the things I love."