Hilton Head chef who appeared on 'Chopped' dies at 45
Keith Jodway, a Hilton Head Island chef who appeared on the reality TV show “Chopped,” died Thursday. He was 45.
Jodway had worked at several island restaurants, including Marleys Island Grille, WiseGuys, Hugo’s Seafood and Steakhouse, and most recently, Poseidon, which opened at Shelter Cove Towne Centre in December.
“He was totally committed to the restaurant industry,” said Nick Unangst, Jodway’s friend and coworker at Poseidon. “He was a perfectionist, super-creative and always looking to create something new and different.”
Jodway won multiple culinary awards, including Iron Chef competitions, Taste of the Season, and the Lowcountry Soup Challenges. He was also a contestant on the Food Network’s show “Chopped,” on which he remarkably fashioned an entree out of scallops, cranberry juice, artichokes and burdock root.
Brandon Arrieta was working with Jodway at Hugo’s in 2012, the first year the restaurant entered the Taste of the Season competition. Jodway won with a surf-and-turf lollipop creation. That same year, he came up with Hugo’s winning crab asparagus cappuccino soup at the Lowcountry Soup Challenge.
“He was a master of combining flavors,” Arrieta said, adding that even after Jodway left Hugo’s, his cooking style had “a lasting impact.”
Jodway died in his sleep, according to his obituary. The cause of his death was not available pending autopsy results, said Beaufort County Deputy Coroner David Ott.
He is survived by his parents, Jay Jodway and Gail Phillips Jodway, and brothers Kirk and Jason Jodway.
A memorial service was held Tuesday at The Island Funeral Home & Crematory.
“We’re going to miss him here” at Poseidon, Unangst said. “He was doing a great job for us. This caught everyone by surprise.”
Related content:
- Keith Jodway's obituary
- Local chefs show skills, creativity in 'Iron Chef'-style competition, Aug. 18, 2010
This story was originally published January 27, 2015 at 9:40 AM with the headline "Hilton Head chef who appeared on 'Chopped' dies at 45."