Discover the people behind Hillman Beer’s scratch-made kitchen in Asheville and Old Fort, NC. Family-owned, community-driven, and locally sourced.
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Meet the Kitchen Team at Hillman Beer
Key Takeaways (TL;DR)
- Hillman Beer’s kitchen is run by a tight-knit team rooted in family ownership and a genuine commitment to scratch-made food.
- Both the Asheville and Old Fort kitchens use locally sourced ingredients from Western North Carolina producers.
- The culinary team’s philosophy mirrors the brewery’s own: quality over novelty, with time-tested techniques and honest ingredients.
- Spent grain from brewing is sent to local farmers, closing the loop between kitchen, brewery, and community.
- You don’t need to be a foodie to appreciate what comes out of these kitchens, just hungry.
The People Who Power Hillman’s Scratch-Made Kitchen
At Hillman Beer, the kitchen is not a side note to the taproom experience. It is built from the same values that shaped the brewery itself: family ownership, honest ingredients, and a belief that good food, like good beer, does not need to be complicated to be exceptional.
The Hillman family, Brad, Greig, and Brandi, established the brewery with a clear sense of who they are and what they want to put in front of people. That identity extends directly into the kitchen. From the first scratch-made burger at the Asheville location on Sweeten Creek Road to the pub-style plates served beside Mill Creek in Old Fort, the culinary team carries the same unpretentious standard the Hillmans apply to every pint they pour.
According to the Brewers Association (2023), craft brewery taprooms have increasingly become full dining destinations, with food revenue now representing a growing share of on-premise sales across independent breweries. Hillman understood this direction early, not because of market trends, but because feeding people well has always been part of the hospitality they believe in.
The kitchen team at both locations operates with limited menus on purpose. Every item earns its place. Signature burgers, Reuben sandwiches, and rotating seasonal plates are built around what is fresh, local, and genuinely worth eating. There is no filler here, no frozen shortcuts dressed up with clever names. What reaches your table was made that day, in that kitchen, by people who care about the outcome.
“The best pub food is the kind that doesn’t announce itself. It just tastes right, fits the moment, and makes you want another round.”
Hillman Beer’s kitchen team is an extension of the family-owned identity that defines both the Asheville and Old Fort locations. The scratch-made kitchen operates with the same standard the brewery applies to its award-winning beers: quality ingredients, honest preparation, and nothing that doesn’t belong on the plate.
Kitchen Philosophy and Sourcing: How Hillman Thinks About Food
The kitchen philosophy at Hillman Beer is straightforward: use real ingredients, buy local when possible, and cook food that makes sense alongside a well-made pint. That philosophy shapes every purchasing decision and every plate that leaves the pass.
Western North Carolina has a strong agricultural network, and Hillman actively draws from it. Local farmers supply produce and proteins when seasons allow, keeping the menu grounded in what the region actually grows. This is not a branding exercise. It reflects a practical commitment to freshness and to the kind of community interdependence that defines how the Hillmans run their business at every level.
One of the more telling examples of this interconnection is spent grain. After the brewing process, the grain that has given its sugars to the beer goes out to local livestock farms rather than into a dumpster. According to the University of Georgia Extension (2022), spent brewing grain is a high-fiber, protein-rich feed supplement that benefits cattle and hog operations. For Hillman, sending grain to local farmers is both a waste reduction practice and a genuine expression of how they see themselves inside the community, not just as a business operating within it.
The scratch-made approach also means the kitchen team is accountable for what they serve in a way that pre-made or outsourced food simply does not require. When a kale salad is built in-house, the team knows exactly where each component came from. When a burger is ground and formed on site, there is no hiding behind a supplier’s specifications. This transparency is not marketed loudly at Hillman. It is simply how the kitchen runs.
According to the USDA Economic Research Service (2023), consumer preference for locally sourced restaurant ingredients has grown consistently over the past decade, particularly in independent dining settings. Hillman’s sourcing practices align with that preference without chasing it. The team made those choices because they were right, not because they were popular.
The menu at Old Fort features access to a 32-tap system, which means the culinary team has the advantage of pairing recommendations built into the experience. A malt-forward ESB (the same one that earned Hillman a GABF Gold in 2019) alongside a Reuben is not an accident. The kitchen and the bar operate as one program, not two separate departments that happen to share a building.
Hillman Beer’s kitchen philosophy and sourcing practices are rooted in local relationships and a commitment to scratch preparation across both locations. The integration of spent grain return, regional ingredient sourcing, and beer-forward pairing thinking reflects a culinary approach that reinforces rather than competes with the brewery’s identity.
What Eating at Hillman Actually Feels Like
Understanding who makes the food and where the ingredients come from matters, but the experience at the table is where it all lands. At both Hillman locations, eating is designed to feel easy and unhurried. Communal tables at the Asheville taproom invite conversation between strangers. The Old Fort location, with over 10,000 square feet and outdoor seating along Mill Creek, gives the kitchen’s food room to breathe in an environment that doesn’t rush anyone.
The pub-style menu is compact by design. You are not choosing from forty options. You are choosing from the things the kitchen does well. That restraint builds trust. When a place commits to a short menu, each item carries more weight. The Hillman kitchen team knows this and takes it seriously.
For families, the atmosphere is relaxed and genuinely welcoming, which matches the “we’ve saved a seat for you” hospitality the Hillmans have built into both locations. The food does not talk down to anyone. It does not require food literacy to order or enjoy. It asks only that you sit down, take a look, and give the kitchen a chance.
That accessibility, the same quality that makes Hillman’s beers approachable to someone ordering their first craft pint, runs through every plate. The kitchen team is not cooking to impress critics. They are cooking to feed people well, in a place worth coming back to.
The dining experience at Hillman Beer reflects the same values the kitchen team brings to sourcing and preparation: accessible, unhurried, and honest. Whether you’re at the Asheville location near Biltmore Village or sitting creekside in Old Fort, the food is built to complement the space and the beer, not compete with either.
Key Takeaways (TL;DR No. 2)
- The kitchen team at Hillman Beer operates from the same family-owned, community-first values that shaped the brewery from day one.
- Scratch-made food using locally sourced Western North Carolina ingredients is the standard at both Asheville and Old Fort locations.
- Spent grain returns to local farms, making the kitchen an active participant in Hillman’s community relationships, not just a service add-on.
- A focused menu means every item is prepared with intention and accountability, with no shortcuts hidden behind branding.
- The pub-style food and taproom experience are designed to work together, keeping the atmosphere welcoming for everyone at the table.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the food at Hillman Beer made from scratch at both locations?
Yes. Both the Asheville location on Sweeten Creek Road and the Old Fort location on Catawba Avenue operate scratch-made kitchens. The culinary teams prepare food in-house using locally sourced ingredients, with no reliance on pre-made or outsourced menu items. This approach is consistent with the family-owned values that shape how Hillman Beer runs both taprooms.
Where does Hillman Beer source its food ingredients?
Hillman Beer sources ingredients from local and regional producers in Western North Carolina wherever possible. This includes produce, proteins, and other components used in their pub-style menu. The brewery also returns spent brewing grain to local livestock farms, reflecting a broader commitment to supporting the agricultural community around both locations.
Does the kitchen menu change with the seasons?
Hillman Beer offers both a core menu and rotating seasonal selections. The seasonal approach allows the kitchen team to work with what is freshest and most available from local producers at a given time of year. Core items like signature burgers and the Reuben remain consistent, giving regular visitors familiar options while seasonal plates add variety.
Is Hillman Beer a good option for families or non-beer drinkers?
Both Hillman locations are designed to be welcoming to a wide range of guests, including families and those who are not primarily there for the beer. The food menu stands on its own, and the atmosphere at both taprooms is relaxed and conversational rather than bar-focused. The Old Fort location in particular offers expansive outdoor seating that works well for groups of all types.
Who founded Hillman Beer and is it still family-owned?
Hillman Beer was founded by brothers Brad and Greig Hillman, along with Greig’s wife Brandi. The brewery opened its Asheville location in April 2017, followed by the Old Fort location in July 2020. It remains family-owned and operated, with the founding family’s values directly reflected in both the brewing program and the scratch-made kitchen at each location.
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