Today we’d like to introduce you to Christian Bowman.
Christian, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
It all started with me watching a food network chef by the name of Emeril Lagasse at nine yrs old. I would watch him every day until I found myself wanting to make something that he made. So I started to watch my mother who cooked very well and she would teach me the basic seasonings to use and basic meals to make. I also had an uncle who was a chef at an early age but he didn’t get to go as far due to him being incarcerated. He was one of the few people who pushed me and said that I should take being a chef serious so I did.
Basketball was always my first passion and cooking second but my senior year in high school I took a culinary class and my teacher has seen that I could really cook so she put me in a competition. I ended up taking second place out of 50 kids and I received a scholarship and that’s when I knew this is what I wanted to do long term and that’s what I did.
After going to school and graduating I tried working in a restaurant and it just wasn’t my thing. So I ended up getting connected to a friend of a friend who had a catering business and I started working with her. Tiffany Swinson of SomethingGood2Eatcatering who is like a sister to me now took me under her wing and taught me a lot and I learned and soaked up so much knowledge. But once again catering just wasn’t my thing and I’ve always had a dream of bringing a private chef and I wasn’t going to stopped until I achieved the dream.
So I started networking putting my self out there more and posting a lot of my work with hashtags on IG just grinding and praying that something would happen soon. Then boom it did but on GOD’s timing. My first private chef job was with ASAP Rocky and from there that’s when my career took off but I still had my ups and downs.
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?
My journey was very tough and it was far from easy. Growing up in South Central Los Angeles to single mother of four I had to learn to survive on my own somedays and to keep me out of trouble basketball and cooking were all I had. I knew I wanted more not just for me but for my family so I took a different route than the streets.
When I first started doing private work I was juggling two other jobs while also working on my passion because it was slow it would be off and on. I also had days wondering if this was what I really wanted to do because at the time I was seeing other chefs on that I felt I was better than but I had to understand it’s GOD’s timing, not my timing and my favorite quote from my favorite rapper is that ” it’s a marathon, not a sprint” and I live by those two things till this day. So I told my self one day I’m going to take a leap of faith and I did just that. I quit my other jobs and took on being a private chef full time. and it got even tougher. With no consisted money coming in and me not knowing what was next, I remember talking to my mother and her needing help on rent and her saying GOD will make away and the next day I ended up getting a DM to cook for Kyrie Iriving who is an NBA All-star guard. I just remember thanking GOD and being so happy and from there the rest is history. After working with Kyrie it was like a domino affect people kept calling and calling.
Please tell us more about your work. What do you do? What do you specialize in? What sets you apart from competition?
I am a private chef who cooks for professional athletes and entertainers. I bring a special and intimate vibe into your home with great food and service based on your needs and preferences. I am known for my artistry and the great taste of food that I bring to my clients. I make you feel like your mother or grandmother is in the kitchen. I am most proud of not giving up when I had all the obstacles trying to break me and also all the hard work that I have put in to get to this point but it’s definitely all Glory to GOD. I think what sets me apart from others is the food it speaks for itself and also my work ethic. I work extremely hard with somedays I don’t even sleep. I also think my personality I feel most of my clients see me not only as their chef but family as well.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My most proudest moment of my career so far is just being able to provide for my family. I’m not fully where I want but I’m blessed I’m not where I use to be, I’m happy that I’m able to help and give back the people around me in a way possible.
Contact Info:
- Email: christianbowman89@gmail.com
- Instagram: chefcbo
Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
