Meet Our Team

Phillips Armstrong, Owner

A graduate of Colorado State and Temple Universities, in Political Science and Special Education, Phillips Armstrong has an undeniable passion for people and how they relate.

Having worked the past decade as F&B director and general manager for a number of nationally renowned restaurants and high-end resorts, Armstrong struck out on his own in 2007 with HUSH, a roving dining concept that brought up-and-coming chefs to the forefront in exotic and unexpected locations.

Armstrong developed his keen sense of hospitality from an early age as his parent’s regularly entertained friends and family. His father cooked while his mother (Aurum Steamboat’s original interior designer) made everything look perfect.

At Aurum he strives to create a work culture that has a sense of passion, sincerity, hard work, and unyielding hospitality. He wants his guests to feel excited, sense of value & appreciation, a place where they can come several times a week and not just special occasions.

Chef Brain Duncan

Chef Brain Duncan joined Destination Hospitality in its first year. Growing up in Denver, he yearned to be in the mountains and made his move as soon as he could to Crested Butte, then Steamboat Springs and finally to Breckenridge. When he wasn’t playing in the snow, he was pursuing his culinary degree from CMC and soon stoked his creative fires at several of Breckenridge’s premier dining spots. When offered the opportunity to let his artistic vision fly at the helm of Aurum’s culinary team, he jumped to work. He’s a powerhouse in the kitchen and a longtime Mountain local spending any free time he gets playing in the snow with his beautiful fiancé and his two awesome kids.

Sydney Nelson

Sydney learned the fine art of entertaining from her mother and grandmother. Her fond memories of intimate family gatherings and wild surprise birthday parties have inspired her to provide her own style of genuine hospitality. After eating her way across Europe at the age of 16, and again at 20, she returned to graduate from Northern Illinois University with a Communications degree. She then followed the call to the wild west and moved to Colorado. Colorado offered her many opportunities to hone her service skills and she joined Destination Hospitality restaurant group after moving to Steamboat Springs in 2016. In 2018 she relocated to Breckenridge to open Aurum Food & Wine Breckenridge.

Courtland Nelson

Courtland was born and raised in Traverse City, Michigan where he graduated from the Great Lakes Culinary Institute. Four years at James Beard nominated Trattoria Stella sharpened his knives and his skills. He continued his quest for knowledge by travelling across the U.S to Seattle, Washington. At Portage, a small 24-seat French bistro, he exercised his creativity by creating dishes based on the morning’s run to Pike’s Place market. In 2015 he made his way to Phoenix where he met the love of his life. After marrying Ivona, they journeyed to Breckenridge Colorado to explore the Rocky Mountains and begin their life together.