Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeremy Williams.
Hi Jeremy, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My journey is one of heritage, resilience, and a relentless pursuit of mastery. I was adopted alongside my older sister in 1991. She has always been my protector, but the greatest gift we both received was our mother—the incredible woman who chose us as her own. A true Southern matriarch, she was loved by everyone who tasted her cooking. She taught us that food is more than nourishment—it’s a bridge that brings people together. During the holidays, she filled our home with the aroma of comfort and community, inviting neighbors and friends to share in the warmth of her table. My sister and I continue that tradition to this day.
My culinary journey began when I was sixteen. As my mother devoted herself to caring for my ill stepfather, I stepped into the kitchen to help. What started as a necessity quickly became a calling. I discovered that I didn’t just enjoy cooking—I wanted to master it. I began working in restaurants, immersing myself in every position I could, learning the rhythm and soul of the industry from the ground up. That passion eventually led me to study at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, but I still consider myself largely self-taught—refined by experience, curiosity, and perseverance.
Over the years, I’ve worked nearly every role in the culinary world except executive chef, and I’ve had the privilege of learning from some truly remarkable mentors. Running my own private chef and catering business for eight years gave me the freedom to express my own culinary identity and share my vision of elevated, soulful cuisine. Seeing others thrive in this craft has only deepened my resolve to continue pursuing my dream—to stand among them as a high-end chef and creator of unforgettable dining experiences.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My professional life began with a singular drive. After my mother and I cared for my father in North Carolina, I recognized that food was the ultimate expression of love and service. This passion led me to the Art Institute, but I am largely self-taught, building my expertise through intense independent study. For eight years, I successfully ran my own private chef and catering business. The struggle was constant—balancing the artistry of high-level cooking with the logistics of running every aspect of the business alone, from sourcing and inventory to client relations. I had to forge my own curriculum, utilizing the techniques of masters like Thomas Keller, Gordon Ramsay, and Douglas Rodriguez.
Even during those early, busy years, my focus was always on flavor innovation. While living in Washington, I began to rigorously test and document methods for using complex, concentrated flavors to create my own line of hot sauces and reductions. This was a pivotal period where I started isolating and mastering the essential flavor components that define my style today.
The ultimate test came with the onset of the pandemic. I had just moved to New Mexico and was actively establishing myself, collecting clients for major events. When the world shifted, the sudden loss of those bookings forced me to make a critical, difficult decision.
I stepped away from the kitchen entirely for five years to pursue a career as a Store Director and District Manager in the convenience industry, traveling extensively. While that chapter was a moment of profound adjustment, it proved invaluable. That struggle taught me rigorous corporate-level logistical skills—mastery of operations, inventory, and staff management that I now bring back to the kitchen.
My current return to the East Coast is driven by the clarity gained during that time. The hardship cemented my realization that the kitchen is my true, undeniable calling. I view these struggles not as setbacks, but as the essential process that honed my expertise, making me a highly resilient and logistically capable professional.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
After a period of rigorous professional development, I have decided to make my return to the culinary world, settling in Central Florida for the last year to plan my next chapter as a high-end private chef. This return is driven by a singular focus: to introduce my meticulously developed cuisine style—Progressive Equatorial Cuisine (P.E.C.).
P.E.C. is far more than fusion; it is a philosophy born from my highly diverse heritage and executed with unparalleled technical mastery.
P.E.C. is an intensely seasoned, highly refined cuisine that draws its authenticity from four distinct cultural foundations:
The core aromatic soul is built on my heritage in the Trinidadian-Indian and Jamaican West Indies, guaranteeing deep, complex, and layered heat.
The foundations are rooted in the essential, bold flavors of Panama, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic—honoring the versatility of ingredients like yuca and fresh ceviche.
I draw inspiration from the vibrant, savory, and rich flavors of Filipino cuisine.
The presentation and hospitality are anchored in the comforting sensibility I learned growing up in the American South.
What makes P.E.C. Progressive is the method. I take these authentic, heartfelt flavors and subject them to relentless technical mastery, creating edible works of art. My approach combines masterful French techniques with cutting-edge science, applying molecular gastronomy (inspired by Ferran Adrià), and refining flavor complexity using primal practices like controlled Onggi fermentation and pit roasting.
I have to admit, I don’t have a single favorite dish. My passion lies not in the creation of one perfect plate, but in the architecture of the entire menu—the deliberate sequence of flavors designed to build a complete, cohesive culinary story.
My greatest joy comes from orchestrating a perfect sensory experience within a single course, focusing on the synergy of textures, temperatures, and global flavors.
Imagine, for instance, the interplay in my elevated ceviche presentation:
The first bite of tender, briny octopus—almost ice-cold—is designed to be immediately contrasted by a bold, savory, fiery hot sauce that amplifies the tropical citrus and umami.
But that moment demands the perfect vehicle: Patacones, fresh-fried from the ripest green plantains, cut long at an angle to create a tongue-like scoop. They are seasoned with my custom blend of Trinidadian curry powder, Hatch red chili, and sea salt, adding a final, smoky-spicy crunch that resolves the dish.
It is this full, unrepeatable moment—where all elements collide to create a sophisticated balance—that truly captures my heart. My favorite is always the next complete culinary story I get to tell.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Launching my own private chef and catering business and running it for eight years was a monumental risk, particularly as a largely self-taught chef. The risk wasn’t just artistic—it was financial. I bore the full responsibility of sourcing, inventory, logistics, and client relations, all while striving to maintain a high-end standard. The struggle was constant: risking my personal capital every day to prove that my self-forged talent could succeed in a competitive, exclusive market.
This was the greatest risk of all, involving personal and professional identity. When the pandemic hit, I was just establishing myself in New Mexico and lost my client base. The decision to step entirely away from the kitchen to pursue corporate management was a huge risk—I risked losing my professional currency, my passion, and my identity as a chef. However, this risk was calculated: it was a pivot to survive and to acquire corporate logistical skills. The time spent as a Store Director and District Manager was an investment in my future resilience, allowing me to now return to the kitchen with the business acumen necessary to succeed at the highest level.
Ultimately, every successful chef takes a risk. My perspective is that risks are the necessary crucible—they burn away weaknesses and harden your resolve, equipping you to deliver both exceptional artistry and flawless execution.
Pricing:
- Required Minimum Project Fee: $1,100 – $1,800
- Basic 3-Course Menu: $275 – $375+ per person
- Signature 5-Course Tasting Menu: $350 – $550+ per person
