Meet The Chef

A native of Buffalo, New York, Ashley Stanton has been part of The Ritz-Carlton family in Florida for a majority of her food and beverage career. A member of The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, Miami culinary team since 2012, most recently in the role of Executive Sous Chef, Stanton now serves as Executive Chef for the entire property. Across all elements of culinary operations - banquets, in-room dining and F&B outlets - she brings close to 15 years of expertise, creativity and unyielding dedication to the resort.

Following her graduation from Johnson & Wales University in North Carolina, Stanton began her career with The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Florida, gaining experience at all nine of the luxury property's dining outlets. The knowledge she gleaned was furthered by experience at The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach, Miami where she broadened her knowledge of luxury restaurant operations; there she honed her skills at executing large scale events through banquet planning and operations.

Stanton's experience with the brand continued when she joined the team at The Ritz-Carlton, Coconut Grove, Miami in December 2012. She rose through the ranks across a variety of positions at the property, gaining extensive management experience and familiarizing herself with Coconut Grove and the market's evolving tastes. Stanton has received a number of awards and recognition for her culinary management skills, has competed in television competitions such as Guy's Grocery Games on Food Network, and keeps her playful side in the spotlight with creations such as her Smithworks Vodka first place award-winning Buffalo Chicken Wing Bloody Mary. Her intimate knowledge of the brand and clientele, coupled with her passionate energy for hospitality, led her to be named Executive Chef of the property in April 2021.

What began as a hobby in high school - alongside those of choir and dance - has grown into a lifelong passion for nourishing the mind, body, and soul of her guests through food. Stanton has always known that she wanted to embark on a career centered around making people happy and views food as a common ground that everyone can relate to.  While Stanton also enjoys gardening, the arts, music and film, much of her time outside the kitchen is spent exploring the world with her young daughter. In recent years, Stanton has taken a personal interest in expanding her culinary knowledge with vegan and plant-based cookery. Above all else, she creates dishes with the intent of her guests enjoying a sensory experience with the ability to recall memories from the past or create new ones for the future.