Today we’d like to introduce you to Jared Middleton.
Jared, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Growing up, I was ALWAYS watching my dad in the kitchen. He isn’t any type of certified chef, however. He’s just a guy from the country who knows how to throw down. I’ve always wanted to be just like my pops and I felt like knowing how to cook like him would be a good start.
I may not look like it but, I absolutely love to eat and I have always been a fan of good food. I’ve always loved trying new things and fully satisfying my taste buds. My love for eating good food is what pulled me into the kitchen but, my strong desire for making people smile and feel good is what gave me the love and the passion that I have for cooking. As previously stated, I grew up watching and helping my dad in the kitchen. Every once in a while, I would decide to go in and try something on my own. As I got older and start to gain a little bit more experience, I learned that there are NO limits to how creative you can be in the kitchen, and that is what really excites me about cooking. I get ecstatic when I try what others would deem to be “a weird combination” and it turns out to be a complete hit (based on the reviews of others, of course)!
When I started my sophomore year of college, I moved off campus and rented an apartment. From that day forward, I cooked full meals for dinner 4-5 times a week and my roommates, of course, would be my taste testers. I would always create marinades and use all different types of seasonings to season my meats, and the responses I would get were always priceless. Every day, my roommates were asking me what was for dinner and always asked me to make a lot so that we would have leftovers to eat later on that night or the following day after class. I have a pretty decent social media following and every time I cooked, I would post pictures of my meals on Snapchat and Twitter. The responses I would get were always something to the effect of, “Where’s my plate?” “That looks sooooo good! OMG!” “You need to start selling plates.” “Can I have this recipe?” “You need to start a YouTube cooking channel.” I used to always think to myself, “Is my food REALLY that good?” Apparently so. After a few years of posting the dinners I cooked for my roommates and myself, as well as the pans of Mac n Cheese I would make for Thanksgiving and Christmas, I decided to step out on faith and give everybody what they had been longing for, a taste of Roc’s cuisine. I now sell individual entrees and cater events up to 100 people. The support I have already gained thus far brings me great joy but, I am just getting started!
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?
It most definitely has not been a smooth road. There have been many obstacles on this course: time, money, life itself. However, my biggest struggle thus far has been getting over my fears. I know, without a doubt, that I have a gift. My food is amazing and no one is able to convince me otherwise. Once I was able to etch that fact into my head, get over my fear of failing, get over my fear of what my success could possibly bring, and completely remove that “Is my food REALLY that good?” question out of my head, it made it a lot easier to serve my dishes and make people aware of the services I offer.
What do you do? What do you specialize in?
I am the owner/founder of Roc’s Cuisine. I sell individual entrees and I cater events up to 100 people. I am most known for my Lump Crab Stuffed Salmon, my various Alfredo’s, and I AM the king of Mac n Cheese. Or as I like to call it, Roc n Cheese. I have a Seafood Roc n Cheese that consists of shrimp and lump crab meat, which is HIGHLY recommended.
As a company, I am most proud of the feeling my customers get when they taste my food. I am very much of a people pleaser. Whether I’m cooking or giving to the homeless, the feeling I get from knowing that I am the reason for someone’s satisfaction is unmatched.
What sets me apart from others is my creativity. I believe that a number of dishes I create are out of the ordinary, like my Seafood Roc n Cheese, my Taco Lasagna, or my Tr3yWay Spaghetti.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Luck has never played a role in my life, nor business. I am a firm believer in God and I was always raised to believe that what is for me is in fact for me and no one can stop it. I also believe in reciprocity; my output will always match my input. It is NEVER luck.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rocscuisine.com
- Phone: 6784516030
- Email: rocscuisine@gmail.com
- Instagram: rocs.cuisine
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