Meet Troy Brothwell | Executive Chef at Nocturne

We had the good fortune of connecting with Troy Brothwell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Troy, what do you want your legacy to be?
I want to leave behind a legacy by building up the people around me to become Chefs, Mentors, and great leaders. I do that by spreading my knowledge and passion for the art/craft that I have come to love. Treating others with respect and kindness I believe is a huge part of my success as a leader and Chef. I want to be remembered as a leader who taught skills and creativity and provided people with the tools to then teach others the same.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I started cooking in high school at pizza joint for about four years but when i graduated I moved into the construction industry from painting, roofing, and finally landing in concrete for six years. I decided that a change in my life was needed and I put myself through culinary school and started cooking at a fine dinning steak house in the evenings while continuing to do concrete in the mornings to make ends meet for a couple years until I received my first Sous Chef position. A few years into Sous and I was given a better offer at a country club as CDC and was able to have complete creative freedom. Two years later I moved to Denver and was Executive Chef at Bellota for a year and I’m now at Nocturne. I learned a lot of hard lessons along the way regarding work/life balance, managing a team properly, and learning how to maintain consistency.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would definitely take friends to a couple of the arcades here as well as some of the indoor mini golf. Edgewater Marketplace is a great place to eat, shop, and hangout. The Stanley Market Place is also a great spot. Floating the creek in Golden is a must do. Some of the many Breweries in town are great to hangout at including Vision Quest in Boulder and Spice Trade in Greenwood. We would go to some restaurants like Bar Dough, Hop Alley, and Beckon just to name a few. Hiking at the North and South Tables outside of Golden is a must do.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My wonderful partner has helped my grow as an individual tremendously and has always been supportive in this taxing career. I also want to acknowledge a book by Dan Barber called The Third Plate and how it has shaped some of my philosophies on sustainability and supporting local products. Finally I want to shoutout the leadership team at Nocturne the culture there is amazing and leadership is unlike anything I’ve seen.

Instagram: troy.brothwell