About the Chef/Owner

Klay Kipler (they/he) grew up in New Hampshire and attended Hampshire College in Amherst, MA before moving to Oakland, CA in 2015, where they completed graduate school in Music Composition at Mills College. Throughout their time in school they worked in several vegan kitchens, always appreciating the opportunity to put endless love into food.

In 2017, Klay got a job in healthcare and worked hard to support urgent care and behavioral health teams throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. It was an incredibly rewarding and equally exhausting experience, and in late 2022 Klay decided to leave the healthcare industry to focus on a lifetime passion - spreading compassion through serving beautiful plant-based food and committing to environmental sustainability while doing so.

Klay and their spouse Madrone (she/they) moved back to Western Massachusetts in early 2023 and have recently bought a home in Easthampton, where they live with their four cats — Peep, Zo, Pandora, and Ashes — and their dog Spock. They’re planning on rescuing some chicken friends this upcoming spring.

In addition to bringing Peckish to fruition, Klay spends their time working at Wild Chestnut Cafe (Florence, MA), playing the upright bass, gardening, cooking, knitting, exploring nature, and practicing Deep Listening. They believe in the power of intention, kindness, animals, plants, learning from mistakes, and dad jokes.