Today we’d like to introduce you to Tre Wilcox.
Tre Wilcox looks like he belongs in a gym more so than in a kitchen. With his athletic physique, most are inclined to believe he’s gearing up for a weightlifting competition. But he’s not. He’s a chef, one with a laundry list of accolades under his belt. His “school of hard knocks” training makes his accomplishments all the more impressive.
Wilcox worked his way up the culinary ranks through good old-‐ fashioned blood, sweat and tears. He cleaned chicken in a fast food restaurant as a teenager and by the age of 29, he earned a 5-star review at Abacus, where he served as chef de cuisine. Twice nominated for the “Rising Star Chef “award by the James Beard Foundation, considered to be the “Oscars of the Food World”, he was also named Best Chef by the Dallas Morning News. He parlayed his kitchen success on to the small screen by appearing on Bravo Television’s Top Chef season three and Top Chef All-‐Stars.
There was also the Food Network program Iron Chef, where along with his mentor Kent Rathbun, they beat the team headed by Bobby Flay. In June of 2015 Wilcox, appeared on Food Networks “Beat Bobby Flay” show. He’s been featured in Gourmet Magazine, Modern Luxury Magazine, and Food & Wine Magazine, just to name a few. As an award-‐winning chef and television personality, Wilcox began to expand on his other gift, sharing his passion for food through teaching. “When I’m giving a cooking demonstration or on a TV set, I want viewers to walk away with a “can do” feeling in the kitchen.” He goes on to add, “One of the biggest things I enjoy, and what I do myself, teach what my name is used the three letters of my name as an acronym for good cooking, Techniques, Recipes and Execution.”
From there TRE Cooking Concepts was born. Standing by his belief to use the best ingredients, Wilcox taps into the many lessons learned while he “staged” in some of the best restaurant kitchens worldwide. Staging is when a chef works in another chef’s kitchen, typically unpaid, in order to gain knowledge. Wilcox explained that he preferred being trained that way, “Instead of working towards set criteria, which is what culinary school offers you, I stayed with the trends as they were changing.” Since leaving his executive chef position at Marquee Grill, Wilcox has found much success and satisfaction teaching from his personal kitchen.
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?
Yes. I’m doing what I love so It never feels like work. I only struggle with the balance of time with work, daughter, family and girlfriend.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Tre Wilcox Cooking Concepts story. Tell us more about the business.
It’s a cooking school/team building/private event venue all in one. We specialize in host corporate team building events up to 50ppl and bring them together through cooking.
I’m most proud that I offer another form of team building to corporate America. The most typical events of companies are Top Golf, Escape Rooms, Happy Hour and Private Dinners. All good things to do, but I offer something different and common in most family holiday gatherings where you typically see everyone gathered around the kitchen in most homes. I allow people to cook a meal together or compete against each other in a “chopped style” cooking competition working in teams with co-workers.
I’m an ex 2x Top Chef, Beat Bobby Flay, Iron Chef America and Knife Fight TV competitor so, now I’m judge and the helpful chef to guide each experience to success and growth towards their fellow co-worker.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Stay humble—good luck in business
Don’t take care of your mental and physical health—bad luck
Contact Info:
- Address: 8200 Preston Rd. #135 Plano, TX 75024
- Website: www.trewilcox.com
- Phone: 214-296-2168 option 2
- Email: info@trewilcox.com
- Instagram: trewilcox
- Facebook: Tre Wilcox Cooking Concepts
- Twitter: trewilcox
- Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/tre-cooking-concepts-plano-2
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