About me.
If there is one word to describe Bretton, is curious. Curiosity is what keeps Bretton inspired, and naturally fascinated by the world, and the people in it.
Bretton has been an entertainer from his days as a young toddler. Growing up in Sheboygan, WI, he was surrounded by music, dancing, pianos, accordions, the outdoors, and of course food. He began cooking at a very early age, first fascinated by the concept of yeast, and how a few magic granules made a giant batter of flour and water rise to double or triple it’s size.
Through a beautiful collection of cookbooks, Bretton taught himself to cook and play piano with the help of his grandmother, a German farmer from Wisconsin. It was then that he discovered PBS, and the wonderful cooking chows of Frugal Gourmet, and Julia Child.
He decided Wisconsin was too small, and enrolled himself to study in Spain, the Costa del Sol, and Madrid, so he could discover where extra virgin olive oil and REAL seafood came from, as well as learning a foreign language. It was there that he was taught by an 80 year old Spanish grandmother how to properly cook, and how to use simple, nautral, yet elegant ingredients.
Through his love of music and the arts, Bretton went onto study classical music, playing harpsichord, pipe organ, and jazz piano in Madison, WI, where he played in various ensembles, symphonies, quartets, as well as worked in restaurants to support himself. Choosing between food and music was a constant struggle for Bretton in determining career paths.
After graduating, Bretton decided he must move to Chicago to learn more about food, where he learned the fine art of service at the Ritz Carlton, as well as interning in various kitchens doing pastry, and learning about the art of Mexican cuisine.
He decided to move to NYC, to pursue his dream of working for Food Network and continue with music and acting. After working in countless restaurants, working both in kitchens, and in Front of the House as a manger for Mario Batali, and opulent New York institutions such as Bergdorf goodman, learning the art of the concept of Ladies who Lunch, and the Waverly Inn, a celebrity studded restaurant with an all male staff. Such inspiration and excitement of NYC gave him the desire to continue his education in life by world travels to Asia, Africa, Europe, and India, where he studied yogic arts and meditation.
Bretton decided to open a restaurant and bar, with a video studio in Denver in 2014. After trying to evade the IRS, he was forced to sell his bar to a friend, still open under the same name, Fort Greene bar, named after his Brooklyn neighborhood. The bar recently received 2nd best bar in Denver award by Eater magazine in September of 2021.
After returning to New York, he decided to continue to pursue his career in food media, first my starting a Podcast in 2016 called “Life’s a Banquet”, which was picked up by Heritage Radio Network, which he sold in 2019, and his still operating to this day. Bretton decided he wanted to get involved in cookbooks, and decided the only way was to study the art of Food Styling with several prominent food stylists in New York City, and he finally landed his job as an on -camera Food Stylist in the test kitchen in New York City. Bretton’s interest in cookbooks, food journalism, and history, as led him to seek a path as video host, to reach a broader audience preaching the beauty of food in front of the camera.