Sherry Pocknett (born 1960) is a

Mashpee Wampanoag The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (formerly Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Tribal Council, Inc.) is one of two federally recognized tribes of Wampanoag people in Massachusetts. Recognized in 2007, they are headquartered in Mashpee on Cape Cod. The other Wa ...

chef A chef is a professional Cook (profession), cook and tradesperson who is proficient in all aspects of outline of food preparation, food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term (), the di ...

and

caterer Catering is the business of providing food services at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, hospital, pub, aircraft, cruise ship, park, festival, filming location or film studio. History of catering The earliest account of major service ...

. She was the owner of the Sly Fox Den Too restaurant in

Charlestown, Rhode Island Charlestown is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 7,997 at the 2020 census. History Charlestown is named after King Charles II, and was incorporated in 1738. The area was formerly part of the town ...

. In 2023, Pocknett received the

James Beard Award The James Beard Foundation Awards are annual awards presented by the James Beard Foundation to recognize chefs, restaurateurs, authors and journalists in the United States. They are scheduled around James Beard's May 5 birthday. The media awar ...

for Best Chef in the Northeast. She is the first

Indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology) In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often populari ...

woman to be honored by the James Beard Foundation. Sly Fox Den Too closed in January 2025.

Life

Pocknett grew up on Cape Cod; she is the daughter of Native American rights advocate and Mashpee Wampanoag Chief Sly Fox, Vernon Pocknett. She grew up cooking with her family who from the early 1970s until 2000, operated and owned The Flume Restaurant in Mashpee on

Cape Cod Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer months. The ...

. Her uncle, Chief Flying Eagle, Earl Mills, Sr. was a chef, while her grandmother, Delscena Hendricks, served as master baker and chef. Prior to opening her restaurant, Pocknett worked as a caterer, handling many tribal social events, including the annual

powwow A powwow (also pow wow or pow-wow) is a gathering with dances held by many Native Americans in the United States, Native American and First Nations in Canada, First Nations communities. Inaugurated in 1923, powwows today are an opportunity fo ...

, and worked as food and beverage director at the

Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center The Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center is a museum of Native American culture in Mashantucket, Connecticut, owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. Overview The Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center ...

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

. Pocknett has two daughters, Jade and Cheyenne Pocknett-Galvin.

Career

Pocknett opened Sly Fox Den Too in June 2021 in Charlestown, RI. The restaurant specialized in Eastern Woodland Indigenous cuisine and was named after Pocknett's father. The "too" in the name was added due to Pocknett planning to open a flagship location in Preston, Connecticut that will include a living Native American Museum and oyster farm. At Sly Fox Den Too, Pocknett utilized seasonal, indigenous, and foraged ingredients and Indigenous culinary practices. In 2022, Sherry Pocknett received an Artist2Artist Fellowship grant from the Art Matters Foundation for Sly Fox Den.

References

External links

Sly Fox Den Restaurant

Best chef in the Northeast: Rhode Island's Sherry Pocknett
Rhode Island Report
Her Tribe Fed the Pilgrims. Here's What She Wants You to Know About Indigenous Food
''Time'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Pocknett, Sherry Living people James Beard Foundation Award winners 1960 births Native American chefs American women chefs