Chef Barbara Lynch of Barbara Lynch Gruppo - Biography

Barbara Lynch grew up in South Boston, and by 13 she was working her first job at a local rectory kitchen. It took an influential home economics teacher and a gig at Boston’s esteemed St. Botolph Club to put the teenage Lynch on a direct path to chefdom. Fortunately for Boston, it was a local path, with a 20-something Lynch working for chefs like Todd English at Michaela’s and Olives. She left for Italy to glean the country’s cuisine from local women, and brought that knowledge back to Boston, where Lynch took the reins at Galleria Italiana.

Lynch earned acclaim at Galleria, but it was No. 9 Park that established her as a rock in the foundation of Boston gastronomy. Opening in 1998, No. 9 quickly became a breeding ground for Boston culinary talent and expression. An empire rapidly erupted, with Lynch opening B&G Oysters and The Butcher Shop in 2003, followed by Niche Catour catering (now 9 at Home), Plum Produce, Stir cookbook store and demo kitchen, Drink cocktail bar, and Sportello. Lynch opened crown jewel Menton in 2010, the only Relais & Chateaux property in Boston.

Not only is Lynch the only woman in the United States who holds the title Grand Chef Relais & Chateaux, she’s won a slew of James Beard awards including “Best Chef Northeast” (2007), induction into the “Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America” (2013), and “Outstanding Restaurateur” in 2014. A member of Women Chefs & Restaurateurs, Les Maîtres Cuisiniers, and the Bocuse d’Or USA Culinary Council, Lynch has made outreach and equality major tenets in the Barbara Lynch Gruppo. Her first cookbook, Stir, is soon to be followed by a memoir. Meanwhile, the opening of The Barbara Lynch Foundation in 2012 has ensured that Lynch can keep on giving back to the city she loves, and loves to feed.