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take the familiar on an adventure
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Much like the family property where it’s located, Tillie’s culinary menu takes what’s familiar and infuses it with an array of innovative international flavors, creating a new set of rules for cuisine in Central Texas. Join us at Tillie’s dining room table for a modern interpretation of classic gourmet dishes and a celebration of what lies ahead.
Who’s Tillie?
ATTILIA “TILLIE” HANCOCK
Attilia Aldridge Anderson Hancock was a world traveler that brought her international discoveries to Austin and its surrounding communities. More than 150 years later, her great grandson, Whit Hanks, carries on that tradition. To celebrate this philosophy, Kim and Whit Hanks could think of no one more deserving to name to be the namesake of their new restaurant.
Tillie married a prominent lawyer and banker, Lewis Hancock, who had established Austin’s first bank. In the late 1890s, Lewis and Tillie visited Scotland where they learned of the game of golf. The Hancock’s brought their discovery back to Texas and founded the Austin Country Club, which popularized golf in Austin and the state of Texas. Tillie continued to vacation in Scotland and Europe throughout the early 1900s in an attempt to escape the summer heat. Eventually, Lewis and Tillie built the Hancock Opera house in Austin, the first performance hall of its kind west of the Mississippi River. Lewis would also serve as Austin’s mayor from 1896 to 1897.
Tillie is also credited with being the first female developer in Austin when she oversaw the development of the Aldridge Place subdivision, a historic district located just north of the University of Texas campus, built from part of the original Hancock estate.
The Tillie’s Team
Meredith Shaffer
Executive Chef
A love for the art of cooking and an insatiable thirst for knowledge guided Executive Chef Meredith Shaffer into a culinary career. During culinary school, Meredith immersed herself in the culinary world, working as a server, bartender, and host across two distinct restaurants. This exposure provided her with a comprehensive understanding of the guest experience. She smoothly transitioned from front-of-house roles to the kitchen, starting as an expo and advancing through the ranks from Garde Manger to Junior Sous Chef at a renowned fine dining establishment in North Carolina.
After completing her culinary education, Chef Meredith Shaffer returned to the vibrant culinary scene of Los Angeles, driven by a curiosity for catering. Her determination led her to LA's premier catering company, where she began with small-scale events. Her dedication quickly earned her a position as Special Events Chef, where she orchestrated and curated food for prestigious events, including the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, and People’s Choice Awards. In Los Angeles, she also served as a personal chef to prominent celebrities and led the catering department for high-profile clients such as Netflix. This diverse experience has made her a versatile and innovative chef, adept at blending techniques and ingredients from various cuisines.
In 2019, Meredith embraced a new opportunity in Austin, Texas, taking over catering at Whim Hospitality. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, she advanced from Sous Chef to Executive Sous Chef and ultimately to Executive Chef, demonstrating exceptional leadership and culinary skill. Over the past four years at Camp Lucy, Meredith has led banquet operations to notable success.
Her enthusiasm and dedication to excellence are evident in her role as Executive Chef at Camp Lucy and Tillie’s. With a genuine passion for dining out and an eagerness to explore global culinary trends, Chef Meredith continues to enhance the Camp Lucy experience, infusing each dish with her signature flair and unwavering commitment to culinary excellence.
OWNERS
Whit Hanks
Specializing in architectural antiques, Whit Hanks founded Whit Hanks Antiques in the mid 1980s while also working as real estate developer in the Central Texas region. He began acquiring property in the Dripping Springs area in 1985 and started developing Camp Lucy in 2008.
A successful career as an international antiques dealer provided him a sharp eye for the beautiful heritage pieces that have helped create the unique setting of the Camp Lucy resort and established Whim Hospitality as one of the premier event services providers in the United States.
The development of Camp Lucy, helped lead to the establishment of Whim Hospitality in 2012, an organization that was recently named to Inc. 5000’s list of America’s Fastest-growing Private Companies for the fourth-consecutive year.
In addition to his responsibilities at Whim and Camp Lucy, Whit Hanks serves as the Chairman of the Board at Pioneer Bank and has served on the Historic Preservation Commission and Economic Development Committee for the City of Dripping Springs.
Kim Hanks
As an entrepreneur and the CEO of Whim Hospitality, Kim Hanks has grown her business from a small rental company in Dripping Springs to one of the largest and fastest growing woman-led businesses in the country. The diverse and ever-growing roster of services has put the business on the Austin Business Journal’s Fast 50 and the Inc. 5000 list for four-consecutive years.
Under Kim’s leadership, Whim has also won awards locally and nationally for its quality of service for rentals, florals, catering and event management. In addition to being named one of the top women business leaders in Central Texas by the ABJ, Hanks was honored with one of their Best CEO Awards in 2017.
With Tillie’s, Kim realizes her vision of creating a space that evokes emotion - using food as an inspiration for friends and family coming together. Tillie’s is where people will come together to celebrate, and Kim serves as the ultimate host.