224 episodes

Join Chris Spear as he interviews food and beverage entrepreneurs who've taken a unique path in the culinary world. His guests include caterers, research chefs, personal chefs, cookbook authors, food truck operators, farmers, and more – all individuals who've paved their own way in the culinary world. With over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, including his own personal chef business, Perfect Little Bites, Chris is dedicated to helping others grow and succeed in the food and beverage industry. Tune in to hear their inspiring stories and valuable insights on the road less traveled in the food and beverage industry.

Chefs Without Restaurants The Chefs Without Restaurants Network

    • Arts
    • 4.9 • 71 Ratings

Join Chris Spear as he interviews food and beverage entrepreneurs who've taken a unique path in the culinary world. His guests include caterers, research chefs, personal chefs, cookbook authors, food truck operators, farmers, and more – all individuals who've paved their own way in the culinary world. With over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, including his own personal chef business, Perfect Little Bites, Chris is dedicated to helping others grow and succeed in the food and beverage industry. Tune in to hear their inspiring stories and valuable insights on the road less traveled in the food and beverage industry.

    Make Better Pizza at Home with Women's Pizza Month Founder Christy Alia

    Make Better Pizza at Home with Women's Pizza Month Founder Christy Alia

    This week my guest is pizza maker and founder of Women’s Pizza Month Christy Alia. Women's pizza month is an online party taking place the whole month of March on Instagram. Of course, you can follow along by checking out the hashtag #WomensPizzaMonth. 

    Christy wanted to shine a spotlight on many of the women in pizza, so she took to Instagram to start this. Anyone can participate, and she encourages you to do a post, dedicating it to a woman that you’d like to highlight.

    In addition, she’s partnered with Corto and Stanislaus on the "For the Love of Pizza" kit, which is meant to elevate your at-home pizza-making game. You'll also learn about the 5 scholarships that are available for aspiring home pizza makers to go to Pizza University in Maryland.

    If you want to learn how to make better pizza at home, we talk about fermentation time, tools for making pizza at home, quality ingredients, different styles of pizza and pizza toppings.
    CHRISTY ALIA and #WomensPizzaMonth
    Christy on Instagram @RealCleverFood
    Apply for the Pizza Scholarship to Pizza University

    PIZZA-MAKING RESOURCES
    Buy Corto Olive Oil and listen to the podcast with master miller David Garci-Aguirre
    For the Love of Pizza Kit
    Baking Steel and podcast with founder Andris Lagsdin
    What's Good Dough podcast


    CHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTS
    If you enjoy the show and would like to support it financially, please check out our Sponsorship page (we get a commission when you use our links).  
    Get the Chefs Without Restaurants Newsletter
    Chefs Without Restaurants Instagram and Threads
    The Chefs Without Restaurants Private Facebook Group
    Chris Spear's personal chef business Perfect Little Bites
     
    SPONSOR INFO
    Heaven Hill Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon
    I'm excited to introduce you to Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond bourbon. Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond delivers a flavor profile that's unmatched. This bourbon is aged for seven years, three more than required, creating a richer, more sophisticated flavor profile. When you select this premium bottled-in-bond bourbon, Heaven Hill’s commitment to excellence is evident in every sip. Available Nationally, look for a bottle of Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond at your local store.


    Heaven Hill reminds you to Think Wisely. Drink Wisely.
     Find out more at Heaven Hill Distillery
    Support the show

    • 46 min
    Talking About The Chef Conference with Founder Mike Traud

    Talking About The Chef Conference with Founder Mike Traud

    This week my guest is Mike Traud, founder of The Chef Conference (formerly The Philly Chef Conference). We talk about the history, and evolution, of this food and beverage conference. You'll hear what you can expect from this year's conference which is taking place in Philadelphia from April 12th through 15th.

    Some of this year's guest are: Sean Brock, Tom Collichio, Alain Ducasse, Andrew Zimmern, Rob Rubba, and Rosio Sanchez


    MIKE TRAUD and The Chef Conference
    The Chef Conference on Instagram
    The Chef Conference Website

    Get Tickets to The Chef Conference:
    Day 1 April 12, 2024: Openings & Expansions
    Day 2 April 13, 2024: A conversation between Chef Alain Ducasse and Jeff Gordinier
    Day 3 April 14, 2024: The Chef Conference Opening Night Event
    Day 4 April 15, 2024: Keynote & Panels
    CHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTS
    If you enjoy the show and would like to support it financially, please check out our Sponsorship page (we get a commission when you use our links).  
    Get the Chefs Without Restaurants Newsletter
    Chefs Without Restaurants Instagram and Threads
    Chefs Without Restaurants on TikTok
    Chefs Without Restaurants on YouTube
    The Chefs Without Restaurants Private Facebook Group
    Chris Spear's personal chef business Perfect Little Bites
     
    SPONSOR INFO
     United States Personal Chef Association
    To learn more about membership, advertising, or partnership opportunities, call Angela at 800-995-2138 ext. 705 or email aprather@uspca.com.
    Support the show

    • 38 min
    Perseverance and Adaptation - Christine Van Bloem of The Empty Nest Kitchen

    Perseverance and Adaptation - Christine Van Bloem of The Empty Nest Kitchen

    This week my guest is chef Christine Van Bloem. For 15 years Christine ran the successful Kitchen Studio Cooking School in Frederick, Maryland, a recreational cooking school. When the Covid pandemic hit, she had to stop doing in-person cooking classes. She pivoted to online cooking classes, hoping to go back to in-person. Then, her husband had a stroke, and she had a heart attack, On top of that, she was unable to agree on the terms of her lease renewal with her landlord, and left her kitchen space.

    That's enough for most people to throw in the towel. Christine took some time away from the kitchen, but now she's back. On the show, we discuss her new venture The Empty Nest Kitchen. She'll talk about what her cooking class model looks like today. 


    CHRISTINE VAN BLOEM
    The Empty Nest Kitchen on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok
    The Empty Nest Kitchen website
    The Empty Nest Kitchen Podcast


    CHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTS
    If you enjoy the show and would like to support it financially, please check out our Sponsorship page (we get a commission when you use our links).  
    Get the Chefs Without Restaurants Newsletter
    Chefs Without Restaurants Instagram and Threads
    Chefs Without Restaurants on TikTok
    Chefs Without Restaurants on YouTube
    The Chefs Without Restaurants Private Facebook Group
    Chris Spear's personal chef business Perfect Little Bites
     
    SPONSOR INFO
     United States Personal Chef Association
    To learn more about membership, advertising, or partnership opportunities, call Angela at 800-995-2138 ext. 705 or email aprather@uspca.com.


    Support the show

    • 45 min
    Beyond Contracts, Invoices, and Deposits: Creating a Less Transactional Experience

    Beyond Contracts, Invoices, and Deposits: Creating a Less Transactional Experience

    In this week’s solo episode of Chefs Without Restaurants, host Chris Spear delves into the controversial yet effective business practices he's adopted for his personal chef business. Chris reveals how he's successfully run his culinary business without the reliance on contracts, invoices, or deposits, placing a significant emphasis on trust and personal connections over formal paperwork. 
    While his method defies many traditional business norms, especially in the personal chef world, Chris explains how this approach hasn’t hindered his success. In fact, it has opened the door to memorable interactions with clients, making each event more than just a transaction.
    Addressing the nuances of dealing with corporate clients, Chris also touches upon the scenarios where contracts and invoices become necessary, illustrating flexibility and understanding of different business contexts. Despite introducing deposits as a way to secure event dates recently, he maintains his minimalistic and trust-based approach to business dealings.

    CHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTS
    If you enjoy the show and would like to support it financially, please check out our Sponsorship page (we get a commission when you use our links).  
    Get the Chefs Without Restaurants Newsletter
    Chefs Without Restaurants Instagram and Threads
    Chefs Without Restaurants on TikTok
    Chefs Without Restaurants on YouTube
    The Chefs Without Restaurants Private Facebook Group
    Chris Spear's personal chef business Perfect Little Bites


     SPONSOR INFO
     United States Personal Chef Association
    To learn more about membership, advertising, or partnership opportunities, call Angela at 800-995-2138 ext. 705 or email aprather@uspca.com.
    Support the show

    • 8 min
    The Chef Who's Feeding Oceanside's Houseless Community - Sunny Soto-Brisco of Sunny Street Outreach

    The Chef Who's Feeding Oceanside's Houseless Community - Sunny Soto-Brisco of Sunny Street Outreach

    This week I have chef Sunny Soto-Brisco. With her wife, they started Sunny Street Outreach to cook and serve restaurant quality meals to the houseless and underserved communities in Oceanside, CA. They're currently working on fundraising for a mobile cafe trailer which, once open, will serve the Oceanside community with coffee and breakfast on the go. YOU CAN DONATE HERE


    SUNNY STREET OUTREACH
    The Sunny Street Outreach Website
    Sunny Street Outreach on Instagram
    Donate to help them with their Community Mobile Coffee & Breakfast Trailer


    CHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTS


    If you enjoy the show and would like to support it financially, please check out our Sponsorship page (we get a commission when you use our links).  


    Get the Chefs Without Restaurants Newsletter


    Chefs Without Restaurants Instagram and Threads
    Chefs Without Restaurants on TikTok
    Chefs Without Restaurants on YouTube
    The Chefs Without Restaurants Private Facebook Group
    Chris Spear's personal chef business Perfect Little Bites


      SPONSOR INFO
      United States Personal Chef Association


    To learn more about membership, advertising, or partnership opportunities, call Angela at 800-995-2138 ext. 705 or email aprather@uspca.com.
    Support the show

    • 58 min
    Caribbean Flavors, Paleo Remixes with Althea Brown of Metemgee

    Caribbean Flavors, Paleo Remixes with Althea Brown of Metemgee

    This week I have Althea Brown. After moving to the United States from Guyana, Althea started a blog called Metemgee where she shares traditional Guyanese recipes. Due to health reasons, Althea now follows a paleo diet. But you don’t have to follow a paleo diet to enjoy her recipes. In fact, Althea shares both traditional recipes, and Paleo remixes on her website, and in her new book Caribbean Paleo.

    Some topics discussed and key takeaways in this episode:
    Best practices that Althea swears by, from SEO strategies to engaging content.

    Althea's approach to taking (and sometimes ignoring) blogging advice to stay true to her vision while navigating the digital space.

    Althea also shares tips for aspiring food bloggers on how to find their unique voice, create compelling content, and make an impact in the crowded food blogging landscape.
     ALTHEA BROWN
    The Metemgee Website
    Althea Brown on Instagram
    Metemgee on Facebook
    Buy Althea's book Caribbean Paleo
    Metemgee YouTube Channel

    CHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTS
    If you enjoy the show and would like to support it financially, please check out our Sponsorship page (we get a commission when you use our links).  
    Get the Chefs Without Restaurants Newsletter
    Chefs Without Restaurants Instagram and Threads
    Chefs Without Restaurants on TikTok
    Chefs Without Restaurants on YouTube
    The Chefs Without Restaurants Private Facebook Group
    Chris Spear's personal chef business Perfect Little Bites

      SPONSOR INFO
      United States Personal Chef Association
    To learn more about membership, advertising, or partnership opportunities, call Angela at 800-995-2138 ext. 705 or email aprather@uspca.com.
    Support the show

    • 1 hr 1 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
71 Ratings

71 Ratings

Buyituseitbreakit ,

I’m an unprofessional chef, I love this show

Absolute gem - the host, guests, topics, conversation flow… this is an all-around banger of a podcast for food lovers and anyone coming into the food industry sideways (like me)

Schweiter Family ,

One of only a few Shows I listen to.

Foody much?

I am a business man, and I have owned, and will own again, a food business… I currently own a hospitality and service business that is not food, but my Wife and Daughter are both Chefs; one with and one without a restaurant.

This is one of maybe about two podcast that I listen to on a regular basis.

I have other podcast that I follow, but I usually hit “mark as read” two minutes in… But not this one. #truestory

You have to understand that I own over a month (24hours x 31 days) worth of Audible books and have been listening to myriads of Podcast hours since they first became a thing.

Most Podcast and Audio Books are GARBAGE, but Chris Spears and his “Chefs Without Restaurants” is NON-pretentious and real. Unlike most podcast, you can actually get something out of it consistently.

Heck, it is even entertaining most of the time.

It is always interesting and useful.

I am sure that you will find it to be a favorite for yourself, as well. #100

Tfb20153 ,

Such a Great show!

There are a lot of food podcasts, but I really think that Chris’ voice and perspective is unique and such a welcome addition to a sea of content.
It’s one of the few shows I stop what I’m doing to play and I’m never disappointed.

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