meet our staff

  Excellence starts with people

At Birchfield, every detail counts. That starts with properly selecting and training staff. Many of our staff have worked at Birchfield for years and love what they do. As you will find in the Yakima community, a friendly casual atmosphere abounds. Our staff will make you feel right at home. They are extremely professional, while genuinely personal and approachable. Let them know what you need and they will accommodate. You will be treated like family.

Tim Newbury, our general manager and also a trained chef, will greet you with a smile and take care of you. He grew up in Renton, Washington, working at a restaurant since high school. But after a few years, it was in his blood. "By the time I was a senior, I was running the line," he said. Later his friend urged him to try culinary school. That is where he met Brad Massett. "I didn't like sitting in a classroom," Tim explained. When he was asked to come to Birchfield, it seemed a natural transition. He had been working for family-owned restaurants and appreciated the atmosphere and reputation of Birchfield. Moving to Yakima had its own appeal. "You can't beat the sunshine. It's also more relaxed over here. I would say it is quality over quantity. I chose a career over just a job." He still gets into the kitchen every now and then, but for the most part he does day to day business as well as meeting customers and getting them settled in the dining room or one of the guest rooms. Choosing just one favorite dish served at Birchfield would be hard, though he admits he's a sucker for seafood, especially the salmon. But the chicken stuffed with goat cheese is also a favorite. "Wil has cooked with some of the best chefs in the world. This is eating food the right way. Tim has been here 16 years and isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Darren Waterbury is one of Birchfield's main chefs. He started working at Birchfield in 1981 as a sophomore in high school. Back then, it was just a job washing dishes, but it evolved into a lot more. Wil took him on and he hasn't looked back. "I was fortunate to be taught by Wil," he said. Dubbed the "bread and sauce guy," Darren is behind some of the flavors Birchfield is known for. "It's always nice to hear a customer say that they have dined all over the world and that Birchfield was one of the best." Darren also took a course in Napa. Freshness and quality ingredients are at the top of his list. In fact, some of what they use is grown right there on the grounds. "Sometimes a guest will see the fresh basil or thyme on their plate and say, 'I just saw the chef picking that!'" These days, guests appreciate knowing who their chef is and Darren is happy to oblige those who want to talk to him. "It's nice when they offer a compliment," he said. In this 30 years in the business, the customer has changed--now they expect more and more. And Darren delivers.