Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Locke.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Chef Kristen. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have worked in fine dining restaurants in Dallas since 1997, so 22 years on and off. I have always enjoyed finer foods, following celebrity Chefs and their work. I’ve worked for Stephan Pyles, Hotel ZaZa, Star Canyon, AquaKnox, The Grape, Two Sister’s Catering, Wendy Krispin Caterer just to name a few of the places. I worked front of the house, as well as back, as a hostess, waitress, bartender, manager, general manager, kitchen manager, Director of Catering, and now I’m a Personal Chef and Caterer. I started my own business in 2014 and truly enjoy what I do now. I don’t feel like what I do is a “job”, it’s definitely a passion!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting a local small business is not easy, otherwise everyone would do it, but if you have the will and drive it’s not that bad, in my personal opinion. I had to figure out my “brand”, come up with my logo, design a website, create a Facebook business profile, an Instagram profile, get business cards, build my portfolio of pictures of food, and create/test my own personal recipes for complete consistency among a bunch of other things. All of those steps take a bit of time to fully develop before presenting it to the client and the world.
Please tell us about Chef Kristen Personal Chef and Catering Services.
My business of being a Personal Chef and Caterer means to me forging a real relationship with people I cook for and incorporating my love of food into the relationship for it to be successful. Whether it be a wedding, baby shower, wine pairing party, corporate lunch, kid’s birthday, cooking class, Christmas dinner, or even a funeral, food is one of the MOST important details of the event and I am there to share my passion for food with my clients. I cook all types of cuisine from Greek, Moroccan, Italian, Spanish, Thai, Korean BBQ, even Puerto Rican Cuisine. I am well versed in Global Cuisine, and I import my spices from those countries to make it as authentic as I possibly can. I am honored to create and customize menus for my clients, share my love of Cuisine, and be a part of their special events.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory from childhood was being invited to attend my grandmother’s dinner parties. She would pull out her fine china, real silver, crystal glasses, Waterford linen, and cook her favorite recipes. I will never forget her spaghetti and meatball recipe which took her hours and hours to make. I now have her recipe in my cookbook, but I still cannot seem to perfect it and believe me I’ve tried.
Contact Info:
- Address: Chef Kristen Personal Chef and Catering Services, LLC
- Website: Www.TheChefKristen.com
- Phone: 2148024333
- Email: Kristen@TheChefKristen.com
- Instagram: @Chef.Kristen
- Facebook: Facebook.com/TheChefKristen/
- Twitter: #TheChefKristen
Image Credit:
Photographer Sandra Zavala Harman
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