Photo Credit: By Jacqui Photography
The 8th annual birdhouse farm dinner
Every year, some of Richmond’s best chefs get together to create a menu using ingredients donated by Birdhouse vendors to bring a limited number of guests a meal like no other. Hosted at ZZQ in Scott’s Addition, the evening consists of a social hour, followed by a multi-course meal with the Birdhouse customer in mind. Throughout the evening, you will hear from the chefs themselves about each dish created as well as from Birdhouse staff, volunteers, and board members about our work building our local food system and making it accessible to all and how you can get more involved with our small, but mighty non-profit organization. New this year, a silent auction, open to our dinner guests and the Birdhouse community - all through your smartphone!
The Annual Birdhouse Farm Dinner is an event you won’t want to miss! Tickets go fast. Friends of Birdhouse have early access to tickets, so consider becoming a Friend before August 21st
Save the Date:
The 8th Annual Birdhouse Farm Dinner
Hosted at ZZQ
September 28th, 2025
6:00pm - 9:00pm
Want to donate an item for the silent auction?
Get in touch with Kim Dove at birdhousefm.fundraising@gmail.com to begin the process.
Donation Inspiration:
-Photoshoots
-Specialty Items
-Spa Days
-Experiences around Richmond
-Artwork
-Gift Cards
-Trip Vouchers
-Gift Baskets
-Tickets to Local Events
-A Variety of Classes
As a Silent Auction Donor, your name will be listed on our tabletop signs on the evening of the event as a thank you for all who donated to make the silent auction possible.
Meet the Chefs:
Originally from Chesterfield, Virginia, and a graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, Chef Leah Branch has worked in the food service industry for twenty years. She began her career in catering and has since worked as a baker, line cook, sous chef, and execute chef. She was named one of "Richmond Dining All-Stars" in both 2022 and 2023, and was listed on of Richmond's "Top 40 Under 40" in 2023. Her cooking has been featured in Garden & Gun, Eater, and the Cooking Channel's "Sugar Showdown". Branch has a strong passion for Southern cuisine and strives to explore our regional foodways at The Roosevelt.
Pablo Corrales is the Chef de Cuisine at Lillian Restaurant in Richmond, Virginia. His culinary journey began at age 19, starting in the dish pit and working his way through every station in thekitchen. After becoming a sous chef at Salisbury Country Club, Pablo pursued formal training at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. While in school, he spent weekends staging in some of New York City’s top kitchens, including Blue Hill, Daniel, and The Modern.
Following graduation, Pablo joined the team at The NoMad Hotel, where he worked for a year and a half before returning to Richmond to help open Longoven, a multi-course tasting menu restaurant, as sous chef. He later launched Nectar, a Latin American–focused pop-up that allowed him to explore and share the flavors of his heritage. At the same time, he contributed to Village Hospitality Group, supporting commissary operations for Maxey’s Store, 1933 Public House, and Bienvenue.
Now at the helm of Lillian, a seafood-focused restaurant, Pablo brings together the bold flavors of his Latin American heritage with influences from coastal cuisines around the world. His cooking celebrates vibrant, approachable dishes rooted in comfort and flavor. Grounded in a deep appreciation for hospitality, he leads the kitchen with warmth, generosity, and a commitment to creating memorable dining experiences for every guest.
Kathryn Schmitz has over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, with time spent in Charlottesville, Italy, California, as well as her native Richmond. After being in restaurants for about a decade, she moved to the Napa Valley where she attended the Culinary Institute of America. She followed graduation with a few years at Farmstead Restaurant as a sous chef, cooking with the seasons, working with almost all ingredients fresh off their farm. Once back in Richmond she helped open Longoven, cooked at Alewife, and spent a few years with Kate Uncorked while also working independently as a private chef. Kathryn is now focused solely on her new business VegTable, a vegetable-forward concept, working with local farms and ingredients to make unique products, highlighting and preserving what's in season. You can find VegTable products at Birdhouse Farmers Market, Pizza Bones Farmers Market, Fall Line Farms, as well as small local stores such as Yellow Umbrella and Union Market.
Ryan Jones has been cooking in Richmond for almost 20 years. From 2005-2015 he worked at Edo’s Squid and has spent the last 10 years as a co-owner of 8½. He has also been active in the Richmond music scene and in 2019 played on an NPR Tiny Desk concert. More recently, he attended a Beyoncé concert. His favorite time of year is May through November when he can go to the Birdhouse Farmers Market and continue to support the farmers and buy the best local produce around.
Olivia Wilson is a chef and artist who stays busy making custom cakes, fermenting and preserving produce at its prime, popping up at various local businesses, painting and making desserts and pickles at Celladora. Her creativity is driven by the local gardeners and farmers in the region. Her favorite tradition is eating breakfast every weekend at Pho Tay Do with her family and friends.
Thank you to ZZQ for welcoming the Birdhouse Farm Dinner into your space each year!
Thank you to Duke’s Mayo for being the Title Sponsor of the 2025 8th Annual Birdhouse Farm Dinner!