Today we’d like to introduce you to India Johnson.
India, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Chef De Cuisine & Saucier. I’m originally from Queens NY but was partially raised in Asheville NC where my grandparents were from, and now, I’m adulting in Atlanta GA. As a kid my Trinidadian Father who is also a Chef, and my mom being from the Carolinas, always inspired me to try all types all cuisines. I grew up knowing how important food was with family at the dinner table and although I did not become a Chef until much later in life, I was a person who always loved to bring people together socially, and it always involved good food.
In early 2008, while living in Florida and working in Corporate America, I realized I was unhappy and wanted a career working for myself. While being the “Chef” favorite amongst friends and family gatherings, I was persuaded by those around me to start cooking after moving to Atlanta in 2009. I soon realized my passion and organic talent for cooking and I started to facilitate my own public events here in Atlanta, while working years towards building my clientele and reputation as a Private Chef. I’ve led and managed all types of culinary experiences of small and large events for myself and larger companies like Microsoft, I’ve facilitated pop-ups and kitchen take-overs all around the city, and I’ve consulted for corporate catering companies doing menu development.
Focusing on the ideal of pure food, much of my offerings are based on fresh, local, and classic ingredients with cultural and exotic twists. My food is an artistic interpretation of many cuisines I enjoy, and my craft is ever evolving. My exposure of working with other Chefs and my personal experiences with food have allowed me to develop and increase my food and beverage knowledge of this ever-growing industry and my overall mission is to simply share my talents with the world and give back to my community in any way I can. I am currently working on a project for Martell Cognac where we produce monthly celebrity and influencer dinner parties here in Atlanta, I run my own dinner party series that’s currently bookable on Airbnb Experiences, and in 2019, I am launching my own line of sauces called Sauce Queen.
Has it been a smooth road?
The road to entrepreneurship is never smooth… Its hilly, bumpy, there are many turns, and there’s no GPS that tells you the best move you need to make just by asking. Being a Chef is done by doing and doing it well. When your passionate about something you stay positive and keep moving forward no matter what even when some of the things your trying doesn’t work out. There are many challenges and struggles that come with being a Chef, but I think anyone’s first step is really understanding the many types of Chefs that are out there and aligning yourself to train for the type of Chef you want to be. It took me a long time to understand that.
Once, you know that you want to be a Private Chef having your own brand and business, or a restaurant Chef or caterer, then you can start to build a plan for next steps in your career. I also suggest working with a mentor or someone already in the industry you can learn from, giving your time to help others out on events or catering jobs so you can test your skills and others can see your work ethic, especially if your opting not to go to culinary school, which is totally ok.
So, let’s switch gears a bit and go into Chef India & Co. story. Tell us more about the business.
I cook all types of cuisines and food styles, but I’m most known for private dinners or dinner parties that are mostly in-home experiences or public events. My preference is catering to more intimate gatherings where I can produce my best quality work versus large scale events such as weddings. I am most proud of menu development skills as I don’t work from standard menus and customize every client experience.
Looking back on your childhood, what experiences do you feel played an important role in shaping the person you grew up to be?
My parents allowed me to be creative and encouraged me to try new things, go to new places, and overall experience life. I believe this had played a major part of how I live my life and express myself as a Chef.
Pricing:
- Each Chef India experience is custom so rates and pricing vary based on an initial client consultation,
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chefindia.co
- Email: india@chefindia.co
- Instagram: @chefindia.co
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChefIndiadotco/
Image Credit:
My cell phone, James Anthony, Jon Cee Visuals, & Madeline Ross Photography.
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