Today we’d like to introduce you to Sharon Payot.
Sharon, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story
After working eight year in the restaurant business, side by side with Michelin stars Chef and traveling all over the places, I become a mom and I had to reinvented myself again after a period were I wasn’t able to work and the challenge of a new city (Dallas) were I didn’t know no one. I took care of my daughter around ten months, so when I started applying as a Chef, I couldn’t find someone to hire me because of the empty period without work.
I decide to the partnership with an online cooking school and I was able to create my menus and my signature in each dish and put my name out there. I’m my own business, my name is my personal brand and I offer a service as a Chef which include Cooking workshops, and private dinners, using local farmers, seasonal ingredients but always looking to enhance the flavors that I grew up with, my Venezuelan roots.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Not so much, I’m latin, a woman and a mom. This three elements make the road interesting, in the restaurant business you got challenged because this a job for ”men”, as a Latin, I had tried to get connected with latin community and I had found that sometimes they have high standards to accept someone new, I found in this era that everything is around how famous or influencer you are, you will get more attention and opportunities BUT if you meet that, the road turns with more closed doors than you expected.
Has a mom, had been challenging raise her, work from home, keep everything under control and try to not be “overcook” meanwhile.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I’m an advocate foodie and cook. I specialize to create experiences through food, can be with a cooking workshop or a course dinner menu, playing with sensorial interaction. My name on social media es “Foodierazzi” because I’m a Foodie who creates and enjoys food and I took pictures of that. (The word “razzi” as a Paparazzi.)
After eight years cooking all kind of cuisines I found myself missing so much my country and started to reinvent my childhood dishes, I found the way through the cooking workshops to talk how my grandma makes “Tostones” (green fried plantains) for example, my first year as a mom and in Dallas I use to bake and sell on local farmers markets during the weekend a kind of “sticky buns” that I had traditional in Venezuela (real name is “Golfeado”) and I got some attention on radio station on my country and they just called to interview about how I was doing and introducing this typical, sweet and sour breed to the American Culture.
I understand there that my passion, my name, my services had to be always enhancing my roots and people get interested. I believe that this is what sets me apart. Proud to help from here with two organizations in Venezuela dedicated to raise, care and feed babies, toddlers That have not parented or are in extremely poor conditions.
Proud to show Venezuela on a plate. Proud to be able to teach and create experiences between couples, families and team building experiences, this is the majority of clients.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
My “Short term goal” I’m Starting on November a gastronomic tour where I want to visit different cities/country and host cooking workshops/dinners, My First country will be Mexico in Mexico City, I already did Houston and Miami. The Plan is Do as many I Can, partnership with cooking schools and restaurants where I can do my Venezuelan Pop-Up.
My “long term” goal is owning a space where I can host my dinners and workshops, do my donations events and at the same time having a little spot for coffee and 100% Venezuelan regional sweet treats.
Pricing:
- Cooking workshop starting at 85$ for 4 course menu up to 145. Depend on the menu.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sharonpayot.com
- Phone: 2148593345
- Email: info.sharonpayot@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodierazzi/
Image Credit:
George Gomez
Raul Sanchez
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