Chefs Without Restaurants
Join Chris Spear as he interviews food and beverage entrepreneurs who have built successful careers outside of traditional restaurant kitchens.
From personal chefs, caterers, and food truck operators to cookbook authors, research chefs, and farmers, each guest has paved their own way in the culinary world. Through candid conversations, they share the challenges, lessons, and successes of creating a business on their own terms.
With over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry—including running his own personal chef business, Perfect Little Bites—Chris is dedicated to helping chefs and food entrepreneurs navigate their own unconventional paths in the industry.
If you're looking for inspiration, business insights, and real stories from those who have stepped beyond the restaurant world, this podcast is for you.
🎧 New episodes available—subscribe now and start exploring the road less traveled in the culinary industry!
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 44 minutes
- Episodes
- 259
- Years Active
- 2019 - 2025
Keys to Running a Successful Personal Chef Business - Earl Arnette III of Steez Catering
This week I speak with Earl Arnette III. He is the chef and owner of Steez Catering, a personal chef and catering business based out of Baltimore, Maryland. This is one of our “Meet a Member” episod…
Scaling Recipes, Romesco Sauce, and Old Bay in Crab Cakes - Daniel Gritzer, Culinary Director of Serious Eats part 2
This week, I have part two of my conversation with Daniel Gritzer, Culinary Director at SeriousEats.com. I’ve been a big fan of both Serious Eats and The Food Lab for a while, and was really excited…
A Conversation with Daniel Gritzer, Culinary Director of Serious Eats - Part 1
On this week's podcast, I have part one of my conversation with Daniel Gritzer, Culinary Director at SeriousEats.com. I’ve big a big fan of Serious Eats and The Food Lab for a while, and love the wo…
A Conversation with Personal Chef Jillian Fae
Jillian Fae believes her passion for cooking stems from the fact that she was born and raised in Southern California. The best climate conditions for growing the finest produce all year round and the…
Connecting Chefs and Corporate Clients - Learn About the HUNGRY Platform From Founder Eman Pahlavani
On this week's podcast, I have Eman Pahlavani. He’s the founder and COO of HUNGRY, a digital platform that connects businesses with catering services provided by local chefs. The platform’s notable i…
A Discussion with Chef Thomas O'Gara - Vice President of Culinary at Tessemae's
On this week’s podcast, I have chef Thomas O’Gara. With more than 25 years of food and beverage experience, he’s spent most of his professional career working for Marriott. Last year Thomas started a…
Mike Lang - Food Photography for Weber Grills
On this week’s podcast, I have Mike Lang. Mike is not a chef, but he started a food blog called Another Pint Please. And while the name sounds like it would be focused on beer, it’s primarily focused…
Learn About the Personal Chef Business with Chef Matt Collins
On this week's podcast, we have Matt Collins. Born in Freehold, NJ, Matt has been cooking since he was a child. As a student of the culinary arts program at Freehold High School, he excelled and ran …
Learn About Butchering and Charcuterie with Matt Levere
Matt Levere has been a butcher since 2009, after completing an apprenticeship at the University of Arizona Meat Science and Agricultural Lab in Tucson, Arizona. He spent 40 hours per week for six mon…
Talking About Vinegar and Miso with Sarah and Isaiah of Keepwell Vinegar and White Rose Miso
Sarah Conezio & Isaiah Billington are the founders of Keepwell Vinegar & White Rose Miso. Their companies use fermentation to support the entire picture of local agriculture: fruits, vegetables, grai…
Learn About Eating Insects with Joseph Yoon of Brooklyn Bugs
Do you want to learn about eating insects? On this week’s Chefs Without Restaurants Podcast we have Joseph Yoon. He’s the executive director of Brooklyn Bugs, as well as the chef/owner of Yummy Eats …
The Uncertainty Mindset with Author and Professor Vaughn Tan
This week on the Chefs Without Restaurants Podcast, we have Vaughn Tan. Vaughn is a strategy consultant, professor at University College London, and author of The Uncertainty Mindset: Innovation Insi…
Learn About Koji and Miso with Jeremy Umansky and Rich Shih of Koji Alchemy
This week on the Chefs Without Restaurants Podcast, we have chef Jeremy Umansky of Larder delicatessen and bakery in Cleveland, Ohio, and Rich Shih, the man behind the website and social media accoun…
Pasta Making, Cooking Classes, and Growing a Following Through Instagram with Laurie Boucher of Baltimore Home Cook
On this week’s podcast, I speak with Laurie Boucher. Laurie is a self-described attorney turned pasta-preneur, and is the woman behind the Instagram account @BaltimoreHomeCook. We discuss how she got…
Philadelphia Chef Jennifer Zavala on Birria Tacos, Food Media, Her Top Chef Experience and the Juana Tamale Pop-Up
On this week’s show, I speak with Jennifer Zavala. Jennifer is a chef in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is currently doing a pop-up called Juana Tamale out of Underground Arts. We talk about a wide …
From NFL Cheerleader to Pop-Up Chef - Masako Morishita Brings Japanese Comfort Food to Washington D.C. with Her Pop-Up Restaurant Otabe
On this week’s show, I speak with Masako Morishita. Originally from Kobe, Japan, Masako’s family has owned and operated a bar and restaurant there for 90 years, and food has always been a part of her…
Pastry Chef and Author Lisa Donovan Talks About Writing Her Memoir, the Restaurant Industry and Chess Pie
On this week’s show, I speak with Lisa Donovan. She’s a pastry chef and James Beard award winning writer. She’s helmed the pastry kitchens of some of the most important restaurants in the country, in…
Chef Christina Pirello - Beating Terminal Leukemia Through Diet and Lifestyle, and Building the Christina Cooks Brand
On the Chefs Without Restaurants podcast this week I have chef Christina Pirello of Christina Cooks. After already losing her mother to cancer, Christina was diagnosed with terminal leukemia in her m…
Pastry Chef Bria Taylor of Killa Cakes on Big Flavors, Being a Self-Taught Baker and Starting a Business
On the Chefs Without Restaurants podcast this week I have pastry chef Bria Taylor. She’s the owner of Killa Cakes, a Washington D.C. area cake business. Trained in graphic arts, Bria has no formal tr…
Chef and Culinary Instructor April DuBose – Teaching, Nostalgia and the Loneliness of Entrepreneurship
On the Chefs Without Restaurants podcast this week I have chef and culinary instructor April DuBose. She’s currently the culinary director and instructor at Baltimore Outreach Services in Baltimore, …