Today we’d like to introduce you to Chef Courtney Wright.
Chef Courtney, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
It all started when I was seven years old in my hometown of Kansas City Missouri. My great grandparents had a garden and they would take me outside to pick fresh fruits and vegetables. We would come back into the house to prepare dinner using those same fruits and vegetables. While growing up, major holidays I would get in the kitchen with my mother, aunt, and grandmother to help prepare family meal. Since a kid, I’ve always loved being in the kitchen. More time passed and I was a high school kid taking Culinary classes. That’s when my decision to become a Chef was made. I didn’t know exactly where I would land in the Culinary field just that I loved food oh yeah and traveling.
So I guess my ultimate dream is to travel the world while enjoying and preparing great food. Now back to where I was… oh yeah, next came high school graduation then college. I entered into the Johnson County Community College Culinary Arts program with the intent to get a degree in… That was the intent but not exactly how it panned out. About a year and half through college I moved out my mother’s house. The bills came shortly after and paying for school was extremely difficult. Financial struggles forced me out of college however, I still pursued becoming a chef.
I worked for countless hotels and restaurants. Then one day, while working at one particular hotel/restaurant I met a private Chef. He was a chef for one of the most famous hip hop artists ever. Our entire hotel staff was kicked out the kitchen and he was allowed to take over. While preparing Breakfast for his rich and famous client he allowed me to help him out and even got me a picture with the rapper. It took a lot of guts to go up to this famous guys suite and ask for a picture since that was against the hotel policy for staff. I took the risk because his chef had inspired me. I saw where he was and that’s where I wanted to be. I wanted to be a private chef. A couple of days later the artist left went to the next city on his tour. The chef and I stayed in contact. I immediately began looking for clients to work for as a private chef, however, getting a job to cook for rich and famous people isn’t easy. You must have the right connections and I didn’t have many. It was difficult to find work and even discouraging when I could never land that right client.
Then one day I received an email from the famous rappers assistant about an opportunity to be a personal chef. I was referred by my friend the personal chef that I’d met at the hotel. That moment changed my career as Chef. I took the job and went out to Los Angeles. The job worked for a while but not as I had expected. I left the tour and was back a home and back at square one. So I thought but didn’t realize I was learning and becoming the chef I was destined to become. Along my journey, I was getting better and perfecting my craft. I started my own catering company Cooking with Chef Courtney and even landed a job for a big client who lived in the same city. I am continuing to build my company and recently relocated to a Los Angeles to be closer to the heart of the private chef industry.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road has not been smooth, but some days are better than others. Some of the struggles along the way are securing a position. Some of the things that I have done to attempt gaining exposure would be sitting outside of hotels for hours just to get my business cards into the hands of a High-Profile Celebrity. Only to be unsuccessful in most of my attempts.
Please tell us about Cooking With Chef Courtney.
Cooking Chef Courtney is more than just a Personal Chef Service. We are a full brand that provides the following, boutique catering, large party catering, personal chef services, and cooking classes. We are known for providing a world-class luxury personal chef experience. I am most proud of seeing my growth from where I started and where I am now. What sets Cooking With Chef Courtney apart from others is our passion for culinary arts. We truly love what we do.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over, I would have completed culinary school.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.cookingwithchefcourtney.com
- Phone: 816-255-8173
- Email: chefcourtneywright@gmail.com
- Instagram: Chef_CourtneyWright
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