WINDHAM, New York — Windham Mountain announced today that Scott Kampf has been hired as the chef at Trail’s End Tavern & Grill, the new restaurant at the Winwood Inn in Windham, New York.

Kampf, a native New Yorker, has been a professional chef for 23 years. Along the way, Kampf has won many awards for his cooking, including the acclaimed Chaine des R??tisseurs Award of Excellence. He was invited to be a team challenger on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America” and was later asked to be the rescue chef on the show “Kitchen Nightmares” with Chef Gordon Ramsay.

According to Kampf, he began cooking to “impress girls,” one of whom told him that he was just as good as her family’s private chef. Thus began a career in which he became a private chef for the families of famous stars, including Ivana Trump, and famous professional athletes, such as golf pro Raymond Floyd. Living and working in France for a year allowed Kampf to hone his skills in classic French cooking. On excursions to Italy and Spain, he studied the different cultures and cooking styles in the cities and villages. “I learned about the local fare from the grandmas,” Kampf said.

Kampf’s cooking style is French-American, focusing on fresh, local ingredients and getting back to basics. Kampf does not have one signature dish. He says, “I love everything I make, whether it’s a hamburger or a gourmet rack of lamb. It’s all me; all works of art.”

Chef Kampf has also been known for his cooking classes, which involve hands-on cooking from start to finish. Students learn to create a restaurant quality three-star meal. He hopes to conduct cooking classes in Windham in the near future.

For more information about Trail’s End Tavern & Grill, visit www.windhammountain.com.