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Culinary Team

Rocky Denson was born and raised in Colonial Beach, Virginia.  He is married to his best friend, Blaire, and they have four children and three grandchildren.  Rocky attended York College of Pennsylvania and earned his Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management and Development from Bluefield College. His parents and grandparents owned and operated Denson’s Grocery which was established in 1912.  After many years in financial services, Rocky and Blaire reopened the family business in 2011 and rebranded the grocery with a focus on specialty items and Chesapeake Bay farm-to-table fare. In 2013 they introduced R&B Oyster Bar.  Rocky loves good, fresh food, and has a very distinct palate. He enjoys working with local watermen and farmers to obtain the freshest ingredients for his kitchen.  He is a self-taught chef but gives much credit to travel, and the culinary influences he has been fortunate to eat and cook with over the years.  Rocky is proud of being voted Colonial Beach Chamber of Commerce business of the year, 1st place in the Maryland Chef Seafood Competition for his crab cake, Best of Virginia (Virginia Living Magazine), Maryland Seafood Festival Chef Demonstration, Virginia is for Lovers Culinary Challenge: Fresh Catch, Seafood, and Oysters, named one of the 18 Best Seafood Restaurants in Virginia, and Best of The Bay 2022.

blaire flight

Blaire Denson is a native of Greensboro, North Carolina.  She met the love of her life, Rocky in Disney World in 2000, and relocated to Virginia in 2001. Blaire and Rocky have four children and three grandchildren.  Blaire is the Executive Director of the Virginia Partnership for Out-of-School Time (VPOST) on faculty at James Madison University working with key partners to develop, lead, coordinate, and drive the network’s initiatives. She holds her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and is a member of the inaugural class of White Riley Peterson Policy Fellows at Furman University.   Blaire moonlights at Denson’s Grocery and R&B Oyster Bar.  She manages the market, catering, and all operational aspects of the business. Blaire loves children and is often found holding babies while their parents enjoy Rocky’s delicious cuisine. She also loves to cook and has offered her southern flair to the menu at Denson’s Grocery and R&B Oyster Bar.

 

 Shirley Mae

Shirley Setliff is a Colonial Beach native and a graduate of Colonial Beach High School.  She is the widow of her loving husband, Tommy who was our resident delivery guy and go-to for anything Rocky needed. Shirley has three children, and seven grandchildren, a puppy, Charlie, a kitty, Jackie, and two birds, Sugar and Spice. Shirley is the Denson's Grocery comedian and news reporter.  She joined Denson's team in May 2011 and is the most tenured and loved by all members of Denson's team.

 David

David Taylor is a Colonial Beach native and a graduate of Colonial Beach High School. He received his Bachelor of Science in Economics from Radford University.  David is an avid sports enthusiast, enjoys hiking, and loves to cook. He spends much of his spare time researching recipes and cooking for his family and friends. David joined the Denson's in the Summer of 2011.

 blue

Wayne Schultz was a retired software engineer, having worked for Lockheed Martin for 40 years.  He was married to Cathy for 33 years, and they enjoyed their first grandchild's arrival together. Wayne was a previous native and resident of northern Virginia.  He and Cathy bought their house in McLean that he grew up in, raising their son there, and sending him to the same schools that Wayne attended in McLean.  He and Cathy moved to Ebb Tide and took over his parent's home where he and Cathy retired there with their dogs. Wayne started working at Denson's after he got tired of eating there all the time, thinking he would earn some of the money back that he was spending there. Wayne in his off time liked to stay busy working on 'His to-do list', turning wrenches, pounding nails, gardening, driving the community tractor, bush hogging the fields, and grading the roads that he maintained for the Ebb Tide community. Wayne joined the Denson's in March 2017, and suddenly left us in June 2019. RIP Wayne, AKA our Boy Blue. You are forever a part of the Denson family.

 Shelby2023

Shelby King is from King George and graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University, majoring in history in 2019, and is affectionately known as our Shelby Girl. She enjoys oysters, trivia, and walks around 'The Point' with her dog Lincoln, and his best friend, the Densons mascot ‘Annabelle’. She’s been with Densons since 2017 and loves to interact and converse with our awesome customers.

 

 ty guy

Tyler Hicks is a Colonial Beach native. He started in the DishPit, and quickly became Rocky's right-hand guy. Tyler hopes to go to culinary school. He joined the Denson's in November 2017.

 angel

Angel Hurt is a King George native. She is married to Tony, and they have four children. Angel and Shirley are the lunchbox duo. Her nickname is Picasso...she makes some really pretty plates and is an integral part of our catering team. Angel joined Denson's in 2018

 Mallory2023

Mallory Tompkins grew up in King George and graduated from Christopher Newport University in 2022 with her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. Before working for us she loved coming into the restaurant and ordering oysters and fries. She still enjoys eating our food on her breaks and when she’s not working. Mallory joined the team in May 2019.