Food, Fire & Iron

Our Crew

Jon-Paul Dowdell

Blacksmith & Chef

Born in Jamaica Queens, New York. Jon-Paul grew up reveling in the cultural diversity and glorious flavors that came along with it. It gave him an intense attachment to community and the human interactions associated with it.

Always drawn to this far off idea of primal nature, he packed up his life one day and moved himself to an island in the pacific northwest and in the process found his true home. He has been intensely drawn to fire as long as he can remember, whether it be in front of the forge hammering iron into anything from knives to large sculptural projects, or in front of the fire in one of his restaurants, cooking, discovering and bringing people together while building the idea of community he cherishes so much to wherever he is at the moment.

"It's a primal urge. To gather around a fire, feed our hunger and connect with people, it nourishes both our bodies and our souls".

Capt. Russell Sparkman

Photographer & Mariner

When Russell traveled around the world as a photographer, including an 8-year stint living in Japan, he was fascinated by different approaches to open fire cooking.

From eating skewered chunks of campfire roasted pork near Tblisi, Georgia, to cooking whole fish over fires in the mountainous regions of Japan, the communal aspects of cooking over fire forged lasting impressions upon Russell.

These memories have morphed with Russell’s experiences in brand building, event production and visual storytelling to create, together with Jon-Paul Dowdell, the Food, Fire & Iron experience.

As a licensed Coast Guard Captain, Russell is particularly excited about opportunities to combine his passion for boating with Food, Fire & Iron to create unique travel and cooking experiences around the Puget Sound region, and beyond.

Jess Dowdell

Organic Farmer & Chef

From the kitchen to the field and back again, Jess has been chasing flavors from a very early age. Growing up on farms in the Pacific Northwest she was destined to not only be a chef, but also an advocate of for locally sourced and heirloom ingredients. Jess is always on the move reinventing different dining experiences, bringing a true farm to table taste to the plate.

Currently she is owner and chef of Roaming Radish, a catering company emphasizing culinary creations with local, organic, and sustainable ingredients from sprout to finish.

With new projects on the horizons, you can keep up with her “fork to source” happenings on Instagram:

Jess Dowdell