Jen Alvarez

Jen is a San Diego based chef and emerging commercial fisherman whose work bridges local seafood, storytelling, and community. Raised in Florida fishing the Gulf of Mexico with her father and grandfather, and with deep family roots in commercial fishing in Belgium, Jen grew up on the water from a young age.

Trained as a chef, Jen attended culinary school in New York and developed a strong foundation in farm to table cooking and local sourcing. After relocating to San Diego, she transitioned into culinary consulting and hosting highly curated farm to table dinners. For more than a decade, these dinners have centered on whole animal cooking, seasonal produce, and fish Jen caught herself.

In recent years, Jen’s passion for fishing led her to purchase her own boat and obtain a commercial fishing license, allowing her to directly connect her catch with chefs who value freshness, sustainability, and thoughtful handling of seafood. With a unique perspective as both a chef and fisherman, Jen is deeply committed to getting high quality local fish into the hands of people who truly appreciate it, while helping build a more connected and transparent local seafood system.