Today we’d like to introduce you to Mel Walker.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Mel. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
As far back as I can remember, cooking has been my deeply-satisfying passion and greatest creative outlet that brought together my friends and family. I graduated from Le Cordon Bleu California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, then completed an externship in Pont-Aven, France and I was certain that this was the road I was destined to take.
To this day, whenever I travel, whether it’s to Vietnam, Thailand, Iceland, France, Costa Rica or Poland, I take local cooking classes and find inspiration in each country’s people and cuisine. I take the inspiration with me forever. There’s been an evolution throughout my career. At this point, I find that I really enjoy a beginning, middle and end to each project. With catering, I love the client collaboration, planning, staffing, design and execution, then moving on to the next gorgeous event.
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?
I’m always trying to reinvent my cuisine, stay current, stay on top of hot décor and culinary trends. It’s a challenge and it’s exhilarating. Learning how to market me on social media and understanding that running a business requires you to be a savvy social media presence is a challenge I’m currently working on meeting.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
GourMel Catering is a boutique catering company, I customize all menus to suit the theme of the event. Whether it’s a screening, a wedding, a dinner party, a corporate event, a birthday party, a holiday event, a bar or bat mitzvah, or on-set dining, the same care and presentation is my top priority. I take pride in and care deeply about maintaining positive, long-term relationships with clients. I like things done a certain way with precision, elegance and follow-through. Do what you love and you’ll never work another day in your life is one of the truest statements. I simply adore what I do. LA has an incredibly diverse culinary scene with markets containing nearly every ingredient you could imagine from darn near every corner of the earth. It’s a pleasure to incorporate many of these flavors into my cuisine.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was inquisitive and pretty fearless and sassy. Little has changed! I enjoyed regaling people with fun stories.
What role has luck (good luck or bad luck) played in your life and business?
I was fortunate enough early on in my career to work for clients in the entertainment industry. Once you’ve established that you and your staff can work with professionalism and discretion in such a demanding industry, you’re trusted and able to get referrals. As the saying goes, “The harder you work, the luckier you get.” I have always believed that you make your own luck.
Contact Info:
- Website: Gourmelcatering.com
- Phone: 310-893-5553
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Erin Marton Photo
Capturing Kapcia
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