Chefs Without Restaurants

Food & Cooking Podcasts

Here's a podcast about food and beverage entrepreneurs and people in the culinary world who took a different route. Chris Spear has been working in the hospitality industry for more than 25 years, mostly outside of traditional restaurant settings. In 2010 he started a personal chef business called Perfect Little Bites. Wanting to help other culinary entrepreneurs build and grow their businesses, he created the Chefs Without Restaurants community. On the podcast of the same name, he has conversations with people in the food and beverage industry who also took the road less traveled. They’re caterers, research chefs, personal chefs, cookbook authors, food truck operators, farmers, and all sorts of culinary renegades.

Here's a podcast about food and beverage entrepreneurs and people in the culinary world who took a different route. Chris Spear has been working in the hospitality industry for more than 25 years, mostly outside of traditional restaurant settings. In 2010 he started a personal chef business called Perfect Little Bites. Wanting to help other culinary entrepreneurs build and grow their businesses, he created the Chefs Without Restaurants community. On the podcast of the same name, he has conversations with people in the food and beverage industry who also took the road less traveled. They’re caterers, research chefs, personal chefs, cookbook authors, food truck operators, farmers, and all sorts of culinary renegades.

Location:

United States

Genres:

Food & Cooking Podcasts

Description:

Twitter:

@chefsworestos

Language:

English

Contact:

4843199030

Website:

https://chefswithoutrestaurants.com/

Email:

chefswithoutrestaurants@gmail.com

Episodes

Keep Being Curious - Master Pastry Chef Christopher Curtin of Éclat Chocolate

7/12/2022

This week's guest is Christopher Curtin, the certified master pastry chef, and chocolatier behind Éclat Chocolate, which he founded in West Chester, PA in 2004. After attending culinary school, he spent 14 years honing his skills alongside the world’s top chocolate makers across Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and Japan. Éclat has received acclaim including being named one of the “Best Chocolates in America” by Bon Appétit magazine. Christopher has collaborated with the likes of...

Duration:00:43:16

Chefs as Teachers - What is a Chef with Eli Kulp

7/5/2022

This week's "What is a Chef" episode is with Eli Kulp. He's the co-founder and culinary director of High Street Hospitality Group, as well as the host of both The Chef Radio Podcast and Delicious City Podcast He has been a finalist for JBF Best Chef Mid-Atlantic, Best New Chef- Food & Wine Magazine, Chef of the Year- Eater and Philadelphia Inquirer. Stay tuned for my full episode with him which will be released soon. ELI KULP Eli's Instagram Chef Radio Podcast Delicious City...

Duration:00:07:36

Do One Thing Really Well - Talking Breakfast Tacos with Liz Solomon Dwyer of King David Tacos

6/28/2022

This week I’m talking breakfast tacos with Liz Solomon Dwyer, founder of King David Tacos. An Austin native, Liz brought her love of the breakfast taco to NYC. What started as a drop-off catering business, then grew from two breakfast taco carts to over 50 locations across NYC. Her tacos can now be found at retail partners like Whole Foods and Stumptown, as well as their brick-and-mortar location. We talk about what makes a good breakfast taco, the challenges of hot-holding eggs, and...

Duration:00:43:19

Mentorship, Growing Your Employees, and Letting Them Leave

6/21/2022

This week is a solo episode. The topic was prompted by Ray Delucci of Line Cook Thoughts who posed the question "How do you motivate your staff in the food industry?" My reply was "Find out what their goals are, and where they see their path going. Then, try to help them get to that place, even if it means that they’ll leave you and go elsewhere eventually. Too many bosses try to hold their employees back." But I wanted to dig deeper, so here's a little more. I talk about mentorship,...

Duration:00:06:45

Getting Fired, Dealing with Anxiety, and Silver Linings

6/14/2022

This week is a solo episode. I discuss the time I was fired from a job and the subsequent anxiety that I experienced due to that. It took a long time before I came to terms with the whole experience. But there was also a silver lining... It ultimately led to me starting my own personal chef business, and this community. If you've been fired, or if you're a hiring manager, I'd love for you to listen to this episode. If you have feedback, you can get in touch by contacting me on one of the...

Duration:00:10:53

On Not Identifying as a Chef - What is a Chef with Sara Hauman

6/7/2022

This week's "What is a Chef" mini-episode is with Sara Hauman, You might know her as the yogurt queen from season 18 of Bravo's Top Chef, or the owner of The Tiny Fish Co. You can find last week's full episode with her here. Sponsor- The United States Personal Chef Association While the pandemic certainly upended the restaurant experience, it provided an avenue for personal chefs to close that dining gap. Central to all of that is the United States Personal Chef Association. Representing...

Duration:00:13:35

Talking Top Chef and Tiny Fish with Sara Hauman

5/31/2022

This week I have Sara Hauman, You might know her as the yogurt queen from season 18 of Bravo's Top Chef, or from her highly entertaining Instagram cooking videos where she's making some delicious-looking food. After high school, Sara moved to the south of Spain. Upon returning to the US, she decided to go to culinary school, (which she doesn’t recommend). She spent the next few years working in restaurants including Brandon Jew’s Bar Agricole. With some experience under her belt, Sara...

Duration:01:07:34

Build and Grow Your Personal Chef Business Now - Advice from Chef Jonathan Bardzik

5/24/2022

This week my guest is Jonathan Bardzik. He was first on the show on the show in July 2021, and I wanted to have him back. He’s a storyteller, cook, and author. He’s a performer, speaking and cooking for private and corporate audiences, creating customized experiences that build connection. He’s appeared with more than 900 audiences, been on the TEDx stage, written 4 books, and his television series, Jonathan's Kitchen: Seasons to Taste recently debuted on Revry. On this episode, we talk...

Duration:00:52:53

Chefs as Stewards of the Environment - What is a Chef with Brady Lowe

5/17/2022

This week we have a mini-episode with Taste Network's Brady Lowe. If you haven't heard our full episode with him, you can check it out here. During our conversation, I asked him what it means to be a chef. In this quick episode, you'll hear what Brady has to say. Sponsor- The United States Personal Chef Association While the pandemic certainly upended the restaurant experience, it provided an avenue for personal chefs to close that dining gap. Central to all of that is the United States...

Duration:00:06:48

The Seafood Episode with Sena Wheeler of Sena Sea- Fresh vs Frozen, Wild vs Farmed and How to Buy and Prepare Fish

5/10/2022

This week my guest is Sena Wheeler of Sena Sea. Sena’s part of at least a third-generation fishing family. With her husband Rich, they’re bringing premium quality seafood directly to their customers. Sena has a master’s degree in nutrition and food science with a specialty in quantifying omega 3's in fish, and determining preferred handling practices for premium quality. Rich does most of the fishing for Sena Sea, but they also source from fellow fishermen who share their high-quality...

Duration:00:54:30

The Cajun Vegan Krimsey Lilleth on Closing Her Restaurant, Writing a Cookbook, and Quitting Social Media

5/3/2022

This week I have Krimsey Lilleth. She’s the author of The Cajun Vegan Cookbook, and was the owner of Krimsey‘s Cajun kitchen, the world's first vegan Cajun restaurant. Due to Covid, Krimsey made the tough decision to close her North Hollywood restaurant in Spring 2020. She knew she wanted to share her recipes with her fans so they could re-create their favorite dishes at home, which is what inspired her to write her first cookbook. On the show, we talk about opening a restaurant, and then...

Duration:00:51:21

Taste Network's Brady Lowe - The Future of Food Events, and the Rise and Fall of Cochon 555

4/26/2022

Today I have Brady Lowe, founder of Taste Network. Started in 2002, he’s currently on a mission to disrupt, and rethink the typical food marketing strategies, forge new online possibilities, and partner with and help promote sustainable, ethical, and delicious food and drinks from around the world. You might know Brady from the Cochon 555 events that he put on. But you might not know that he separated from the Cochon 555 brand a couple of years ago, which was one of the things I wanted to...

Duration:00:52:39

What is a Chef with Andris Lagsdin of Baking Steel

4/19/2022

This week, we have a mini-episode about what it means to be a chef. Today's answer comes from Andris Lagsdin of Baking Steel. You can hear my full episode with him here, and another mini-episode where we talk about health and wellness here. I'm currently out of town on vacation and have been having some technical difficulties. So, today's episode jumps right in without any real intro. Sponsor- The United States Personal Chef Association The Covid pandemic has clearly redefined the world...

Duration:00:05:11

Free Food and Failure

4/12/2022

This week, I talk about free food and failure. More specifically, I discuss why giving away free food, and doing events for free didn't work out for me. I'm not saying that there might not be a place for it. But before you do an event, I think you need to make sure it's a good fit. Does it make sense to give out free cupcakes and the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new car dealership? There are a lot of people looking to trade your services for "exposure", but does it actually ever help move...

Duration:00:07:46

Talking All Things Chocolate (and Vanilla) with Cody Marwine of The Perfect Truffle

4/5/2022

This week my guest is Cody Marwine of The Perfect Truffle, a chocolate shop he owns in downtown Frederick, Maryland. You might’ve heard my mini-episode with him a couple of months ago about what it means to be a chef. On this full episode, we dive into the chocolate business. We talk about how he ended up taking over the shop that he had been working at on and off for almost a decade. We discuss chocolate percentages, supply chain issues, tempering chocolate, and how to work with it at...

Duration:00:55:09

From Food Truck To Restaurant and Condiment Line with Poi Dog's Kiki Aranita

3/29/2022

This week's guest is Philadelphia chef Kiki Aranita. You might know her from her Poi Dog food truck and subsequent restaurant of the same name. Unfortunately, due to the Covid pandemic, she had to shut down her restaurant. But Poi Dog has returned in the form of a line of bottled condiments including guava katsu sauce and chili peppah water. We talk about the evolution of her business, deciding to close the restaurant, and what it was like to start a consumer packaged goods product...

Duration:00:46:04

Health, Wellness and Vegetarianism with Andris Lagsdin of Baking Steel

3/22/2022

This week I have a bonus episode with Andris Lagsdin of Baking Steel. During our full conversation, we talked primarily about pizza making, and how he created the Baking Steel. While recording the episode, we discussed health and wellness, abstaining from alcohol, and why he no longer follows a vegan diet. I also asked him about vegan cheeses. I thought that part of our conversation was great, but it didn’t make sense to leave it in as part of the whole show. However, I had always intended...

Duration:00:13:42

What is a Chef with Jensen Cummings of Best Served

3/15/2022

This week, we have a mini-episode about what it means to be a chef. This is something I'm asking many of the guests as part of my upcoming season 3 interviews. I thought it would be great to get as much insight on this as possible, from many different people in the food and beverage industry. Today's answer comes from Jensen Cummings, the creator, and host of Best Served Podcast. On his show, he talks to hospitality industry leaders to learn about the trials and triumphs of their lives and...

Duration:00:21:36

What is a Chef with Matt Collins of Chef Collins Events

3/8/2022

This week, we have a mini-episode about what it means to be a chef. This is something I'm asking many of the guests as part of my upcoming season 3 interviews. I thought it would be great to get as much insight on this as possible, from many different people in the food and beverage industry. Today's answer comes from Matt Collins. Born in Freehold, NJ, Matt has been cooking since he was a child. As a student of the culinary arts program at Freehold High School, he excelled and ran the cafe...

Duration:00:09:05

Bagels, Schmears, and a Nice Piece of Fish - Cookbook Author Cathy Barrow

3/1/2022

On this episode we have cookbook author and food writer Cathy Barrow. She has written for the New York Times, Garden and Gun, The Local Palate, Modern Farmer, Saveur, Southern Living, NPR, and National Geographic, among others. Her first cookbook, Mrs. Wheelbarrow’s Practical Pantry, won the prestigious IACP Award for best single-subject cookbook. She has also written the cookbooks Pie Squared, and When Pies Fly. Cathy's newest book Bagels, Schmears, and a Nice Piece of Fish: A Whole Brunch...

Duration:00:33:18