Today we’d like to introduce you to Anessa Tolbert.
Hi Anessa, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always enjoyed cooking. I started cooking with my grandmother as a child, and it was always something I enjoyed doing for my family. Later, I worked at a job where cooking was part of my duties, and a coworker, Terri, told me I should go to culinary school and open a restaurant. Culinary school had always been in the back of my mind, but hearing that from someone else really solidified it for me. That’s when I decided to pursue culinary school and take my passion for food more seriously.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
One of my biggest challenges has been learning how to keep going even when things don’t go as planned. Building a career in the culinary industry while balancing work, family, and entrepreneurship hasn’t always been easy. I’ve had to learn to pivot, trust myself, and understand that success doesn’t always happen on the timeline you expect. Every challenge has taught me something and helped me become more confident in who I am as a chef and business owner.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My work is really about bringing people together through food. Through Food Journey, I’ve done catering, private dinners, meal prep, and other special events. I also created 1828, my Chef’s Table series, where I can be more creative with my menus and give people a more personal dining experience. I love trying new recipes, exploring different flavors, and putting my own spin on the food I create.
How do you think about luck?
I don’t know if I would call it luck. I think a lot of things in my life and business have happened through timing, relationships, and taking opportunities when they came. Even some of the things that felt like bad luck at the time ended up teaching me something or pushing me in a different direction. I’ve learned that not everything works out the way I planned, but sometimes that leads me somewhere I wouldn’t have expected.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://atolbert0125.wixsite.com/food-journey
- Instagram: Food_journeyyy
