Today we’d like to introduce you to Dianne Hancock.
Dianne, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Growing up, aside from the ubiquitous iceberg salad, I very rarely if ever, ate fresh vegetables. My mom, (as did many of her era) cooked out of cans. She had five daughters and a husband, so convenience was a must! Don’t laugh, but I can still remember the first time I had fresh spinach when I moved out and started cooking for myself. Hallelujah, it was amazing! And asparagus, oh my goodness. If you’ve ever had canned spinach or asparagus, well, there’s no comparison to the fresh stuff.
And meat, I never liked meat from a young age. It always grossed me out. Eating something off the bone, forget about it! I went vegetarian for a couple of years, when I was in my late teens/early twenties. Even though I called myself a “vegetarian”, I didn’t know how to be vegetarian and as such, I was really more of a carbotarian. After a couple years, I went back to my old ways.
I kept reading and researching and cooking and educating myself about plant based diets and animal suffering and in the early 2000’s my daughter and I both made the switch to a plant based diet. I’ve always been a good cook, but it was at that time, that I began cooking in earnest.
In 2012, I was laid off from a job wherein I was assistant to the Vice President of Engineering. After a year and a half it became obvious that my job prospects were bleak in that I was not going to be able to make the kind of money I had been used to making. My husband suggested that I, “switch horses” so to speak and figure out what I wanted to do and together, we would make that happen. I knew immediately that I would cook. I am a very good plant based cook and people were always amazed at my food, even though I was one of very few plant based people that I knew. I had a friend that was a personal chef and she was kind enough to mentor me and show me the ropes. In doing the research, I learned that there was only one other vegan personal chef in the DFW area. I contacted her and she also was kind enough to share some of her knowledge. She has since gotten married and moved out of town with her husband. Leaving me to be, (as far as I know) the only vegan / vegetarian personal chef in the DFW area.
I never try to convert anyone to my way of eating. I seek merely to introduce them to it and that’s always worked for me. It’s my firm belief that everyone’s body is different and the most important thing we can do for ourselves is to listen to our body’s needs.
Two years ago, my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had it removed. We were very lucky in many ways. One of those ways was in having his surgeon talk to us about diet. Although I cooked very healthy, he informed that Roy’s kind of cancer, like many, fed off of sugar and fats. That led us to really tightening up the way we eat. No chips, (bad carbs) cheese, etc. Roy dropped 50 pounds over 6 months and I lost another 40. As veganism and plant based eating have grown in popularity, my business has also grown.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I am so lucky! I think there is an inherent need/want to be good, really good at something and I am so grateful to have the talent I have.
I don’t think being an entrepreneur is ever very easy and when you combine that with trying to get a plant based business off the ground in meat-centric cities like Fort Worth and Dallas- well, you get the picture. However, my food has always spoken for itself, especially with meat eaters. I find that people are always amazed at how good plant based food really is.
I am constantly learning new things about having and running a business. Each and every client cook date, whether a new client, or an existing one, teaches me new things. I am constantly working on upping my game in order to keep my clients happy and satisfy myself. I work very hard to ensure my service is beneficial for all parties involved. If my clients are happy- that makes me happier!
And the kitchens, oh my goodness, the kitchens I get to work in! Wow! Seeing beautiful kitchens, really grand kitchens, are always a treat and I meet interesting people.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Plant Love Personal Chef – what should we know?
I am a plant based personal chef. Most of my clients want vegan meals. I do have one client who is vegetarian. As far as I know, I am the only one in the DFW area who cooks only plant based foods. I plan and cook upscale meals for my clients. The fact that I’m a plant based chef is exactly what sets me apart from other chefs in the area. I also do a lot of cooking lessons and I offer menu planning for my clients and boutique dinner parties. I would have to say that I’m known for my pizzas and my chocolate chunk cookies. These are two items my clients order repeatedly. The thing I’m most proud of is being the only plant based chef in my area and remaining true to my roots. I am often asked to cook meat, but that’s not something I will even consider.
I am also very proud of being able to do what I love and also for not having been afraid to take a chance to follow my dream.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
After working at my business for a year, I decided I wanted to learn about catering to see if it’s something I want to do. (It’s not) Dena Peterson Shaskan, formerly Executive Chef at the Cafe Modern, had just purchased a catering company in Southlake. I contacted Dena to see if I could volunteer some time in her kitchen and two days later, she was paying me. She and Jennie Mae Ketchum, her sous chef at the time, taught me a lot about working in a professional kitchen. Jennie Mae now works for Tim Love in the catering side of his business, so I was fortunate to have learned from some really talented people.
Pricing:
- My pricing for a week’s worth of meals for a family, starts at $200, which includes groceries
- Service fee for 3-4 courses for a dinner party of 8 start at $800
- Cooking lessons are $75.00
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.plantlovepersonalchef.com
- Phone: 682 521 0897
- Email: dianne@plantlovepersonalchef.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plantlovepersonalchef/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plantlovepersonalchef/?ref=bookmarks
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
