A Community Futures’ Success - One of Top 3 Okanagan Caterers, celebrating 10 years in business
Chef Martin started The Chef in Stead 10 years ago with a very simple mission statement, to make people happy with food. He is thankful for the assistance Community Futures gave him in getting started, giving him the framework with the start-up course and then networking opportunities. He tells us that it was a slow start and he was not even sure how successful he would be, but business has become so crazy busy for the last 5 years that he now has a great add on, his wife. "I love that my business now has that extra touch with service that helps take the food to the next level as well", he says. "We're a power couple!", referring to his wife's skills as a sommelier and service professional.
Martin is known as THE private chef in the Okanagan as he operates as part chef, part entertainer. Having Martin cook for you is like having the Food Network in your kitchen! He says seeing clients in their home having a good time and learning makes all the crazy hiccups worth it... showing up at a house in the early days to find out that the oven was broken or getting stuck in an elevator for 2 hours with the client and the groceries on our way up to the kitchen. There are also wonderful memories: he did a second wedding anniversary for a really sweet couple - he was 81 and she was 79 years old! We do all kinds of dinners, we do lots of business dinners, birthday dinner, family gatherings etc... but a when you get to do a 60th wedding anniversary or a 100th birthday, that is such an inspiration for us, to see people enjoying life's moments.
Chef Martin also does weddings. He says, "We do most weddings in places where other chefs don't really want to go. We did one in Vernon two years ago at a house where the well ran dry the day before the wedding, leaving us with zero running water and by defect no washrooms for the guests, just big blue bottles to work with."His reputation has grown to be known has the barbecue guy in the valley. When asked about it, he laughs and says he has the biggest one, barbecue that is and size does matter.
"If you told me in 1989 when I sold my restaurant that one day people would know my name because of my barbecue skills or my mac and cheese I would have been rolling on the floor laughing. A French trained chef doing southern style food, ya right!" He started to cook southern style BBQ as a hobby, then a sport. Once he got to the Okanagan he had his barbecue rig custom built so he could start competing on the pro circuit. Seven years later after winning awards for his ribs, pulled pork and brisket in BC, Washington and Alberta he devoted all his time to his local audience by bringing some of the best barbecue food in the Okanagan. He says, "It's one food that is not about trends or fancy words or fancy ingredients. Real barbecue food is all about meat cooked on wood, period, and if you give it just enough spices and heat it will please people from 7 to 77 years old. Parents of picky kids are always surprised to see their kid suck on all those pork ribs." Martin's BBQ events now include corporate functions, public events as well as family celebrations.
The Chef Instead is a classic Community Futures success story. Martin is proud to tell people how he got his start, and proud to share his passion with so many.
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