Meet Aidan Owens | Culinary Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Aidan Owens and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aidan, how does your business help the community?
Restaurants are central pillars in the local community, serving as places where people gather over food and have open conversations. At Herb & Sea, we support our local ecosystem by sourcing ingredients from local farmers and fisheries, fostering economic growth and reducing environmental impact. We have a partnership with the ocean conservation group WILDCOAST, using Herb & Sea as a hub for education and fundraising efforts in San Diego and Baja Mexico. To generate awareness, we offer a rotating WILDCOAST Fresh Catch dish, spotlighting local fish and fishermen. Through our ongoing initiatives, we’ve raised significant awareness and support for sustainable practices and local conservation efforts. Every meal at Herb & Sea is a catalyst for positive change, nourishing not only our community but also the planet.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Cooking is where I channel my skills and creativity to craft experiences that engage all the senses. It all began in my childhood—though it may sound cliché—growing up on a farm in Byron Bay, Australia. Surrounded by fresh produce and animals, I learned the value of growing food and caring for the land. Cooking became an integral part of my life, not just out of necessity, but out of a deep connection to the food around me.
I worked in kitchens at a young age and was always eager to learn—whether it’s reading cookbooks or watching other people cook. Every kitchen I worked in, I continued to develop my skills and learn more. That’s my favorite thing about cooking, it’s not something you can fully master, there’s always more to learn and ways to improve.

Being a chef is not easy, you really have to love it and be borderline obsessed. My day consists of developing new dishes, calling purveyors to find ingredients, doing admin work or guiding my team through service. What I’ve come to realize is that there’s never enough time in the day—we just have to do our best and keep moving forward.

My hope is to leave a lasting impact on the industry, whether by fostering a sense of community or by highlighting the importance of supporting local farmers and fisheries.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite things to do in San Diego include surfing at the beach, going to the Safari Park to check out the animals, exploring the tidepools at La Jolla Cove, hiking to Blacks Beach, grabbing lunch at Bluewater Seafood, dinner at Kingfisher or Mabel’s Gone Fishing, and drinks at Turf Club, Lionshare and Lafayette.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to shine a spotlight on the incredible work of San Diego’s fisheries. These unsung heroes dedicate themselves to sustainably catching fresh, high-quality fish, often under challenging conditions. Their expertise in handling, utilizing every part of the catch, and respecting seasonal cycles has been invaluable to me. Thank you for all that you do!

Website: https://www.herbandwood.com/ and https://www.herbandsea.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chef_a.owens/?hl=en

Image Credits
Matt Furman, (Aidan Portrait)
Kimberly Moto, ( Flatlay of 100% Sourced Local Fish Dishes at Herb&Sea )
Gabriella Dunlap,( Aidan hugging a fishermen at Ecology Center dinner)
Jonathan DeCastro, (Aidan plating)