This week my guest is chef Christine Van Bloem. For 15 years Christine ran the successful Kitchen Studio Cooking School in Frederick, Maryland, a recreational cooking school. When the Covid pandemic hit, she had to stop doing in-person cooking classes. She pivoted to online cooking classes, hoping to go back…
In this week’s solo episode of Chefs Without Restaurants, host Chris Spear delves into the controversial yet effective business practices he's adopted for his personal chef business. Chris reveals how he's successfully run his culinary business without the reliance on contracts, invoices, or deposits, placing a significant emphasis on trust…
This week I have chef Sunny Soto-Brisco. With her wife, they started Sunny Street Outreach to cook and serve restaurant quality meals to the houseless and underserved communities in Oceanside, CA. They're currently working on fundraising for a mobile cafe trailer which, once open, will serve the Oceanside community with…
This week I have Althea Brown. After moving to the United States from Guyana, Althea started a blog called Metemgee where she shares traditional Guyanese recipes. Due to health reasons, Althea now follows a paleo diet. But you don’t have to follow a paleo diet to enjoy her recipes. In…
This week I have part 2 of my conversation with Scott Blackwell, owner/distiller of High Wire Distilling Co in Charleston, SC which he runs with his wife Ann Marshall. This part of our conversation starts with how and why he started the distillery. If you're interested in his entrepreneurial journey…
This week I have part 1 of my conversation with Scott Blackwell, owner/distiller of High Wire Distilling Co in Charleston, SC which he runs with his wife Ann Marshall. This part of our conversation focuses on his entreprenurial journey up to the point of starting the distillery. Scott’s been a…
This week on Chefs Without Restaurants I'm sharing part two of my conversation with Tony Moore. Tony is a seasoned marketing executive and the host of the "Winning at Work" podcast. I was a guest on his podcast, and this is a portion of that episode. Episode Highlights Using a…
This week, we're venturing into the vibrant world of Mexican cuisine with executive chef Sarah Thompson of Casa Playa at Wynn Las Vegas. At Casa Playa, she presents a vibrant and creative menu featuring bright, California and Baja produce and seafood, woven together with a robust masa program–drawing upon her…
In this episode we dive into the world of pop-up dining with Chef Jonathon Merrick of Family Meal Boise, an in-home pop-up restaurant he runs. You get a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges and triumphs of running the successful pop-up, and gain insights into menu creation, guest interactions, and the…
This week on Chefs Without Restaurants we're diving into the world of food and beverage marketing with Tony Moore. Tony, a seasoned marketing executive and the host of the "Winning at Work" podcast, brings his extensive experience, sharing invaluable insights into the intricacies of brand marketing in the food industry.…
In this solo episode, host Chris Spear delves into the 'More, Better, New' principle, a concept coined by entrepreneur Alex Hormozi. Chris applies this philosophy to his own business, discussing its impact on decision-making and efficiency, particularly in the realm of marketing his personal chef business. This episode offers valuable…
This week, my guest this week is Larry Lynch, president of the United States Personal Chef Association. Topics Discussed: Food safety Regulations, the health department, and cooking in your home Customer acquisition Events and meal prep Pricing Chef-for-hire platforms and hireachef.com LARRY LYNCH AND THE UNITED STATES PERSONAL CHEF ASSOCIATION…
What is Good Food? On last week's podcast I spoke with chef Rollie Wesen (https://www.podpage.com/chefs-without-restaurants/the-jacques-pepin-foundation-and-culinary-education-with-rollie-wesen/) . He's the executive Director of the Jacques Pépin foundation, as well as an assistant professor at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. During our conversation we spoke about what "good food" is.…
This week on I speak with chef Rollie Wesen. He's the executive Director of the Jacques Pépin foundation, as well as an assistant professor at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. Rollie is married to Claudine Pepin, Jaques daughter. In talking with Jacques, they thought it would be…
👨🍳 Starting a Personal Chef Business 🍴 The key to starting a personal chef business is to just get started. Begin by cooking special dinners for friends, neighbors, or relatives. This allows you to see if you enjoy it and if it’s something that could work as a business, all…
Welcome to the Chefs Without Restaurants podcast, where we dive into the world of culinary entrepreneurs and those in the food and beverage industry working outside of traditional restaurant settings. In this episode: Join Chris Spear as he chats with Christy Alia, the passionate pizza maker and founder of Women’s…
This week we have chef Corey Siegel. You'll hear how Corey went from finishing dead last in his culinary SkillsUSA competition, to representing team USA with master chef Rich Rosendale (https://www.podpage.com/chefs-without-restaurants/certified-master-chef-rich-rosendale-discusses-ghost-kitchens-culinary-school-cooking-competitions-and-diversifying-your-business-portfolio/) at the Bocuse d'Or (https://www.bocusedor.com/en) . This episode is a behind the scenes look (or is it listen?) into…
This week I have Kara Mae Harris of the blog Old LIne Plate, where she's been exploring Maryland foodways since 2010. Last year, Kara released a book titled Old Line Plate, the same as her blog. It was a collection of some of her favorite posts throughout the years. But…
Join host Chris Spear on this special episode of the Chefs Without Restaurants podcast as he chats with actress and cookbook author Tiffani Thiessen. Best known for her roles as Kelly Kapowski on Saved by the Bell and Valerie on Beverly Hills 90210, Tiffani dives into her passion for food,…
On this week's podcast we have Scotland's national chef Gary Maclean, a role he was offered after winning season 16 of Masterchef: The Professionals. Gary recently released The Scottish Kitchen, a cookbook of traditional Scottish recipes adapted for a North American audience using ingredients they would be able to find.…
In this episode of Chefs Without Restaurants, we have Brad Leone. Brad is known for his prominent role at the Bon Appétit test kitchen. Over time, he climbed the ranks to become the Test Kitchen Manager. It was during this period that Brad's magnetic personality and cooking prowess shone through…
This week I want to talk about how complacency can kill your business (or at least hurt it). I run a personal chef business, and have been doing it for 11 years now. When I started out doing it on the side, I was a little scrappy. I did guerrilla…
On this week's podcast, we have Justin Khanna, the founder of Repertoire, a hospitality education company, and the host of The Repertoire Podcast. We talk about measurable metrics for success in the kitchen, including working clean. We also dive into the realm of podcasting itself. Justin shares valuable insights on…
On this week’s show, I have Lisa Donovan and Julie Belcher of Rêverie Retreats. These retreats are the kind of trips that I want to take. Travel to the Loire Valley... Take a French pastry lesson with an acclaimed baker...Have a natural wine tasting. Plenty of time to eat and…
