Who is Brett Vibber?
At any given moment, Chef Brett Vibber of WILD Arizona Cuisine is probably somewhere in the wilderness of Arizona, foraging for a variety of delectable ingredients. For the past few decades Brett has been a professional chef, more recently with a focus on using local produce, whether plucked from the wild or a local farm. Alongside the growth of his career, Brett’s reputation as an expert on Arizona history and ecology has grown wildly. As a native of central valley, Chef Vibber feels an obligation to highlight the wonders of Arizona in his dishes. In fact, his dedication to Arizona runs so deep, Brett spends countless hours volunteering to teach children about cooking and foraging.
Growing Up
Brett’s journey to becoming a renowned chef began early in his childhood. As the son of a wrestling coach, Brett grew up with an appreciation for hard work and a father who was always pushing him for greatness. By the time Brett was a senior in highschool he had won several tournaments, all under his father’s wing. Alongside a shared passion for wrestling, the family was always exploring Arizona’s culture and outdoors. From birth Brett would follow along on trips with his parents to go camping, foraging, hunting, and fishing. By the time Brett was graduating highschool he already knew his path forward was to be a chef.
Becoming a Chef
Cooking became a more serious endeavor when Brett attended college in Tucson, beginning his formal chef training. While attending college and continuing to wrestle, Brett bounced around a few restaurants in the Old Pueblo. He then took his training international, working at a pizzeria in Italy. He learned the techniques of pizza making under the owner of the restaurant, often working during his lunch hour to help make the dough. Brett also shadowed the pizzeria owner during trips to the market to purchase supplies, including fresh produce. As Brett learned techniques passed down from generation-to-generation, he developed his own affection for teaching. That passion would lead him to a consulting job in Panama City. After not too long Chef Vibber headed home to the states, working at a few restaurants until he arrived back in Arizona. Since 2014 Brett has been cooking and running restaurants here in the desert.
Creating Arizona Cuisine
Chef Vibber’s remarkable upbringing and world travels have been his key sources of inspiration when cooking. Not only does Brett have a robust technical cooking prowess, but he also loves to tell a story with his dish. Whether he is sauteing wild Morel mushrooms harvested from the forests of AZ, or smoking salmon caught on the boat Brett works on, Chef Vibber likes to keep his ingredients close to home. Much of his fruits, veggies, and other ingredients like honey are locally produced here in the state by farmers like Rhiba Farms. His ability to source such incredible local components results from building an extensive network of craftsmen and women over several years. With his local focus, Brett highlights ancient ingredients indigenous to the southwest. Wolfberries (a cousin of the Goji berry), wild mustard greens, Tepary beans, and so many other ingredients find a frequent home in Brett’s creations. The addition of these native ingredients is even more special when it’s clear that Brett sourced them himself.
What’s Next for Brett Vibber?
Chef Vibber is currently putting together the next evolution of his cooking legacy, a restaurant to be known as WILD Arizona Cuisine. Part of that preparation is creating his own micro-farm, which will supply his restaurant and potentially other local chefs. Over the past few months Brett and his team have produced spinach, chard, 6 types of cucumber, 32 types of tomatoes, 14 types of peppers, Pima pink corn, strawberry popcorn, sweet corn, mint, citrus trees, 4 types of squash, red vein sorrel, shallots, spring onions and carrots. Even still Brett has plans to evolve. He has plans to use his farm to educate people so they can learn how to grow food here in Arizona, with a focus on the wild foods of the Sonoran desert. Brett also plans to offer produce to local chefs, and even the public!