Who The Official White House Chef Actually Reports To Directly

In the restaurant industry, executive chefs hold an esteemed position. Between menu planning, maintaining a budget, and overseeing the entire kitchen staff, it may seem like they are in charge of the entire business operation. But often, executive chefs report to the company's director of operations, general manager, or director of food and beverage. Things are a little different if you work at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., where M&M's are stamped with the presidential seal. At the White House, the first lady personally appoints the executive chef, who then, in turn, reports directly to the chief usher. As of October 2025, Robert Browning is the current chief usher on staff, having been appointed by President Joe Biden in 2021. Typically, the chief usher position is non-partisan and can span multiple presidencies.

The White House chief usher is basically the general manager of the entire building, coordinating and managing things like construction, administrative duties, maintenance functions, and food service. Around 100 staff members report to the chief usher, including housekeepers, florists, engineers, plumbers, and electricians. The title of usher came about when a person was appointed to literally usher guests in to see the president at the White House. Over time, the position morphed into additional duties and responsibilities, but the title stayed the same. Nowadays, the chief usher is the first person to welcome new presidents and their families into the White House and is among the last to say goodbye when they leave office.

The White House chef has some strange rules to follow but first and foremost, they take care of feeding the first family, whether that's breakfast, lunch, dinner, midnight snacks, second breakfast, or elevenses. Although they may be hired by the first lady, the chef must follow any dietary or food rules and requests that are given by the president. An enormous part of the job is planning and executing the menus for various entertaining, social functions, and state dinners, which often include feeding over 100 guests. The executive chef not only coordinates delicious and beautiful dishes but also must consider any dietary restrictions or culinary traditions, particularly if guests are from another country. During a 2022 state dinner for French President Emmanuel Macron, Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford included a cheese course before dessert, which is a traditional part of French dining.

The executive chef also coordinates with other White House staff regarding food and entertainment logistics. For example, the chef utilizes produce from the White House kitchen garden as much as possible, which is overseen by the National Park Service and the chief horticulturalist. There are even beehives on the property. However, these are placed in the care of the White House executive pastry chef, who, of course, is in charge of preparing the president's favorite desserts.