Hidden Gems: Meet Shari Shobe of Chef Shobe

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shari Shobe. 

Hi Shari, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My love for food began when I was in college. I had a few retail jobs in high school, but I was introduced to restaurant life as a waitress my freshman year at Oakland University, and something changed within me. I distinctly remember watching one of the first episodes of “Hell’s Kitchen” and was instantly curious about Gordon Ramsay and the show’s whole premise. Until then, I didn’t realize that food could open up doors, take you across the world, and so much more. 

Unfortunately, my road to the kitchen wasn’t easy. Although I worked in a restaurant, I only worked as a server, bartender, and hostess. Once I graduated from OU, I registered to take classes at a local community college, quit my job as a server, and started working at a steakhouse doing prep. Outside of school and work, I started catering, and then I took time off to expand my family. 

I was a stay-at-home mom for five years before I decided to come back to cooking. I felt that I had to do something for myself. In 2019 and throughout the pandemic, I took the time to work on myself and rebrand myself under the business name “Chef Shobe.” Through the power of social media, I’ve been able to connect with a few local venues, and I’ve been pretty blessed to be as busy as I am. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t been a smooth road; life never really is. I dropped out of college for a short period before actually getting my bachelor’s. I’m a pretty average person; I’ve had family troubles, financial roadblocks, personal insecurities, you name it. One thing that has always gotten me through is my faith, and the other is my inner voice. Having faith has allowed me to surrender to this process and always know that better is only another opportunity away. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Chef Shobe is a personal chef and catering service led by me. I have a small team of food professionals that cater small to medium-sized events. I’m known for a few things. I’m super professional, a huge presentation person, and I love to go the extra mile for my clients. I think what sets me apart is I focus on my clients and my next step. When you focus on what God has for you, you blossom. 

I also think my ability to take risks, mix things up, and being open about it is what allows me to operate in my own lane. I’m constantly starting a new project and trying to make things better for my fellow person. The project I’m most proud of professionally is the “Chef Shobe Spice Drive.” This unique project raised over 1300 bottles of spices for the Forgotten Harvest charity. This year will be my second year collecting spices and donations to compliment two local organizations (Forgotten Harvest and COTS) in time for Thanksgiving. 

Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I think I’ve been a risk-taker most of my life, but professionally speaking, my whole career is a risk. When I initially decided to get into the kitchen professionally, I experienced resistance and not much support. While that temporarily halted my outer efforts, internally, I was highly motivated to get in there and excel. In hindsight, if I had initial support, I don’t think I would have been brave enough to be independent. 

Contact Info:

• Email: Booking@chefshobe.com
• Website: www.ChefShobe.com
• Instagram: @chefshobe
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/ChefShobe
• Twitter: @chefshobe

Image Credits
Alisha Hunter