Some say it can be challenging to work alongside your spouse. But Sterling Market’s executive chef and executive pastry chef, John Burt and Paige Russell-Burt, have been married for several years and have successfully worked together in multiple kitchens throughout their careers.
So, what’s their secret ingredient?
“People will work with us, and they will say, ‘You’re the same person at work,’” Paige says. "We do everything the same.”
“We have similar pet peeves at work,” John says.
The couple credits this to coming up in similar, strict fine-dining kitchen environments.
John and Paige have been at the helm of the local food hall Sterling Market since its inception in 2023. Prior to this, they worked with Sterling Market owner Fidel Samour at his other venture, Fidel & Co Coffee Roasters.
Paige credits their development to the great connections and healthy work environment Fidel fosters.
“Immediately, we were a little team,” Paige says.
Paige took over the bread and pastry operations, while John revamped lunch and breakfast items.
For a while, they say Fidel hinted at developing a restaurant concept, which finally came to fruition when the building across the street from the shop opened.
How It All Began
The couple first met while working together at the Los Angeles restaurant Flores.
They proceeded to work together at another restaurant called Hatchet Hall. In 2015, while working there, Paige was named to Zagat L.A.’s culinary 30 under 30 list. Also, while there, the two officially began dating and married in 2017.
They moved to Little Rock the following year, and Paige joined the team at Mylo Coffee as a baker. John soon joined the team, as well.
Paige's passion for pastries started at home in Conway.
“I really just grew up baking a lot with my family and my grandma, and when I was graduating high school, I had no idea what I wanted to do,” she says.
She decided to attend a pastry program program in Chicago. There, she was connected with chef Paul Virant, who was opening the restaurant, Perennial Virant, in the city.
There, Paige learned many farm-to-table techniques that she and John apply to their work today at Sterling Market, including pickling and preserving food.
John comes from a military family, so he moved around for much of his childhood, but he always worked in restaurants and enjoyed it. After he graduated high school, he attended culinary school in Baltimore and worked his way up in kitchens throughout D.C.
John says his first real fine-dining job experience was in Baltimore at Woodberry Kitchen, a James Beard Award-winning restaurant. There, he first learned about whole-animal butchery and observed the ways in which the restaurant used all local, fresh ingredients.
“It really set the standard for how I wanted to work from then on," John says.
Sharing That Standard at Sterling
When the couple creates the menus for Sterling Market, they stay true to their roots and highlight what is in season.
“It’s also about giving back to the community,” John says. “On the one hand, it’s sustainable. We know who and where it’s coming from. You can taste the difference and see the difference in quality.”
The restaurant has expanded to include an outdoor space for live music and other events.
The couple plans to continue working together in kitchens and dreams of opening their own restaurant one day — a small place that serves lunch and a Sunday supper.
“Something that doesn’t stretch us too thin, but where we can still do what we want and do it well,” John says.
As Sterling Market continues to grow and thrive, the couple plans to regain more time for their hobbies and travel with their children in the years to come.
“It’s also about giving back to the community.” — John Burt.