When Bill Sanders, executive chef at Kinjo , cooked for the first time, he had no aspirations to ever become a chef.
“I began cooking at home when I was 13,” Sanders said, “But it was out of necessity to feed myself while being raised by a working, single mother. I had no desire to ever become a chef”
By the time he turned 16, however, things changed.
And now — at age 27 — he’s climbed the Jersey culinary ranks; running one of the top restaurants in the state, and being named our fifth and final Young Chef to Watch in 2024.
Here’s his story.
From busboy to executive chef
“I started working in a restaurant as a busboy when I was a teenager,” Sanders said, “And fell in love with the kitchen — the chaotic, but rhythmic atmosphere. I found myself sneaking a taste of every spice in dry storage while organizing. I wanted to understand each one.”
Working for Mike Carrino at Montclair’s popular (now closed) Pig & Prince, the youthful Essex County native was given the chance to prove himself when another chef was suddenly kicked off the line, leaving a void for his eager hands to fill.