Family brings Voss back to Highlands
Kim Voss is no stranger to the kitchen, with a long history of working in the food and beverage industry, which might be why she was hired as the new executive chef of Midpoint restaurant in Highlands.
Voss’ family moved from Ft. Lauderdale to Highlands when she was 12, but she left the town when she was 18. After leaving Highlands, she attended Johnson and Wales University where she graduated with a 4.0. She then was recruited to join Compass Group where she opened and ran several different restaurants.
“I have always been a rampant overachiever,” Voss said. “So, coming out of Johnson and Wales, I was Summa Cum Laude and on the Dean’s List. I was recruited by Compass Group, which is one of the largest food service companies in the world. They used to fly me all over the country to open different restaurants.”
After working for Compass Group for nine years, Voss moved from Charlotte to Florida, where she turned down several executive chef positions, hoping for a slower paced job, but ended up working harder than before as a marketing associate for Sysco.
“With the new job, I managed around 60 restaurants and managed their inventory,” Voss said. “It ended up being a good thing, because I was able to learn about the other side of the restaurant business. Getting back into the kitchen, I have a different way of looking at things that I didn’t know before.”
Four years ago, Voss moved back to Highlands, where she was executive chef of The Ugly Dog Pub and worked as a private chef for multiple events.
“Recently, I have been doing a lot of private events, for example, Old Edwards Inn would host me for different events,” Voss said. “I would also do meal planning and things like that for different people. I wouldn’t say that I got out of the restaurant business, I would say that I wanted to see what else I could do.”
Voss said cooking is something that she has done for her entire life.
“Even when I was a kid, I would cut up different plants in my grandmothers garden, even if it wasn’t edible,” Voss said. “I just wanted to make things look pretty. My grandmother was an incredible cook. My mother, not so much. Cooking for me is just one of those types of art forms.”
Asian and ethnic fusion is what Voss said her specialty is. She said she hopes to incorporate more of that style in Midpoint’s menu.
“I feel like that style has all of these fun flavor profiles that I can work with,” Voss said. “My goal is to make something so flavorful and unique that it just wows people. Midpoint is so amazing already, I’m just excited to add more specials to it to bring it to another level.”
Voss said she can’t wait to bring more fusion and fun to the already well-established restaurant.
“This place is great,” Voss said. “People come here because of the fun cuisine, and I am excited to play around with that. I plan on having some rotating menus each season, so I can have some fresh seasonal vegetables that I can get from local businesses.”
Being around family is why Voss said she wanted to come back to the area.
“I know once, I get all of these unique things in place at the restaurant, we are going to have some really cool, unique food, to offer people that you won’t be able to get anywhere else around here,” Voss said. “I decided to come back here, because of my family. Both of my little brothers have kids and I wanted to spend time with my mom.”
- By Christopher Smith