A whole section dedicated to me. WOW!!! What to say? I suppose this section is a great way to introduce myself to new and potential Clientele. Allowing you a little insight as to who I am and how I’ve grown into Rural Roots Catering.
Let me state the obvious… “I Love to Cook” The kitchen is my playground, the intoxicating smells, experimenting with new foods and creating dishes, but most of all the smiles that great food brings to everyone’s faces.
I can’t say that I knew cooking was my path in life and I am a little embarrassed to say the the first job I had was in a Mary Browns Fried Chicken kitchen. However, I did learn a lot and it was fun. I was taught the “kitchen basics” but mainly how to cut potatoes and deep fry chicken. I became pretty good at it too, but it just wasn’t enough, I wanted to learn more. I wanted to experiment with new foods and flavours.
I was now creating menus and asking Mom and Dad if I could cater their next gathering with friends. It worked out well as I needed some “Ginny Pigs” to give feedback on my newest creations. Hey, as long as Mom could get out of the kitchen she was more than happy to surrender her apron for the evening.
Over the next few years I worked on my culinary skills at local establishments. I can safely say that this is when I realized that cooking was going to be my career of choice, I had the itch. The hands on experience I had gained from working in various restaurants were great but I needed to understand the nuts and bolts of the industry if I wanted to move up the chain of command. So what to do now? I craved further education within the Culinary Arts. Back to school I went, Georgian College her I come. After graduating their 2 year Culinary Management course I felt ready and confident to take on the culinary world.
Working on the line in a restaurant was no longer my goal. I wanted more, something different. Don’t get me wrong I loved working the line and to this day I miss the hustle and bustle of a packed restaurant filled with hungry patrons for dinner service, but I needed change and more flexibility. Catering is what I wanted to pursue.
On Saturday February 11, 2006 I purchased Rural Roots Catering from Rodney Hough at One99 Restaurant. What an awesome and exciting experience. I now have the opportunity to meet new people on a regular basis, get to travel as each event is held in a different location and much more flexibility within my menu planning. Being a business owner is fantastic and I wouldn’t change it for anything.
Simply put I am here today with a goal to provide you, my clients with the highest quality products that I can produce. I have had many amazing experiences within the industry and am looking forward to the many more that wait in the future.
Remember that all of your Culinary Roads are Rural Roots!!!
Talk to you soon,
Chris
