Trenton Shank hails from the wild western suburbs of Dallas/Ft. Worth. After discovering a knack for cooking at an early age, he excelled in his high school’s ProStart program and won a scholarship to attend the New England Culinary Institute. Trent graduated first in his class and went on to work at Twin Farms (a Relais & Chateaux property), and the Fess Parker Winery. In 2020, Trent moved to Durham to open Plum with his new bride, Emma Spauling Shank.

Coleman Cody is our resident Renaissance human. He is both a Master Tailor and a classically trained Pastry Chef. Coleman has ventured from his Texas roots to Vermont, Colorado and Atlanta, coming to rest for a long time, relatively speaking, in Durham. We are pleased to have him concocting delicious cocktails and leading our Front of House team as General Manager.

Nick Grady was born in Ukraine and raised in Florida, where he spent most of his time in and around water. Like Trent, Nick attended the New England Culinary Institute, and went on to work at NYC’s legendary and Michelin starred Grammercy Tavern. His cooking then took him to Ojai, and on to Santa Barbara to open the Hotel Californian. While under his leadership, their signature restaurant, Blackbird, earned a Michelin recommendation.

Curtis (Land Pirate) grew up in Wilmington and moved to Durham with his wife, Sara and their pup, Harlowe, last summer. Like many cooks, Curtis transferred real athletic skill to the confines of the kitchen. He played soccer from the age of 3 and traveled extensively around the East Coast with the 89 Breakers. He also loves to surf and spent long days on the water at Wrightsville Beach before moving west.

When he is not doing it professionally, Curtis enjoys cooking with and for friends and family. We are pleased to call him a member of our family at Plum.

Emma began cooking when she enrolled in her high school’s ProStart program. She won first place in the Maryland ProStart Invitational as a junior, and placed third in Nationals. It was there that she met Trent, and they have been together ever since.

Trent and Emma worked together at the Fess Parker Winery & Vineyard, in Los Olivos, California where they were married in September of 2020. Two weeks later they were on the road to Durham, where Trent was opening Plum. Emma joined the team in September of 2021. When they are not working, you will find this culinary duo at home; cooking, planting and growing everything their dogs and chickens will allow.

Lisa was born in North Carolina and educated in New York City, where she soaked in the deliciousness and diversity of city life. She was the Director of Culinary Relations for All-Clad for over 2 decades, and helped grow the company from a regional brand to a global culinary standard bearer. Along the way, Lisa worked with and learned from outstanding chefs, restaurateurs, food editors, writers and colleagues and it changed her life. Having her own restaurant became the dream which has come to life at Plum.

How Lisa sums it up: “Plum is a mash-up of my dreams and desires from a life of eating in restaurants. I am humbled by my luck to land in Durham, because it’s not just a great town; it’s a great restaurant town. Then to find great friends, a great chef and a stellar team that came together during a pandemic. We want to create something unique and wonderful for our community.”