The website tagline for the Oak Ridge Estate in rural Arrington in Nelson County says, “Preserving the past, pursuing the future.” That can be said as well for The Rock Barn, a sustainable food preparation and high-end catering company. It is not a restaurant. The company, which does business from one of the oldest buildings on the Oak Ridge Estate, prides itself on being innovative, yet staying close to the traditions found in the historic Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. New chef at the company, Benjamin Thompson, is very keen that he, as he put it, “remain grounded in tradition,” while looking for ways to always be avant-garde and progressive in the preparation of food products—whether it is for a party or what the The Rock Barn specializes in, bringing fresh local pork directly from the farmer to the consumer.

Thompson, a recent addition to the staff at The Rock Barn comes to his new job with much experience working at a variety of established fine restaurants. As a chef just staring out, he worked in a French restaurant in Colorado, where he gained most of his inspiration to make this his career. He joined the U.S. Navy to help him pay for culinary school, but he picked up something way more important than just a paycheck. He learned discipline and was exposed to many cultures in his travels as a submariner. Along the way, he also learned the value of food. As a cook on a Navy submarine, good food was very important to the morale of the crew. It was this fact that he carried while working in several different restaurants from East to West coasts.

He also learned many valuable lessons in maintaining an “attention to detail” and a high “level of execution” from his most influential civilian mentor, Thomas Keller of Per Se Restaurant in New York City. Another restaurant that really impacted his artistry was The French Laundry in Napa, Calif. Thompson carried all of his knowledge and skills gained over the years when he found his way to Nelson County, where his wife called home, and became a part of the staff of The Rock Barn.

Thompson is proud to call Nelson his home. He enjoys the fact that there are four distinct seasons every year. He also likes what he calls, “the deep culture” of the Blue Ridge and the attention to preserving the culture and history, something The Rock Barn at Oak Ridge Estate is known for.

The Rock Barn is a business that specializes in two areas: catering high-end functions, such as parties or corporate events and the core business The Rock Barn is best known for, and wants to be known for, is The Porkshare. This is a service where local pig farmers can get their meats out more directly to a local consumer. At The Rock Barn, Thompson and his staff use their culinary skills to prepare the pork meat, so it delivers a fresh and tasty presentation to any Central Virginian’s table.

The Porkshare program includes an eight-10 pound box of freshly butchered pork products from chops and shoulders to sausages to smoked meats at a price of $80. When at least eight people buy a box, a whole hog can be used. As North Carolina Whole Hog Barbecue cooks say, it includes “Everything, but the squeal.” This sustainable use of a whole animal from snout to tail also means that farmers can concentrate on breeding quality animals based on traditions and giving the animal a good quality of life on the farm such as providing open pasture feeding programs. Higher quality, better cared for hogs means a better quality of pork on the table of a purchaser. Thompson explains that Porkshares are available on a month-to-month basis without a contract and no penalty is incurred if a buyer does not buy a box in a month’s period.

For more information on The Porkshare program or other activities at The Rock Barn, call (434) 263-4222 or visit http://www.therockbarn.com.