Today we’d like to introduce you to Chef Tiya
Hi Chef Tiya, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m the youngest of 6 children in my family. As a child my parents didn’t allow us to have sweets and sugars. As a way to get around it I began to secretly make sugar cookies out of the flour, sugar, eggs and butter in our home. I saw a recipe on tv one morning from Julia Childs cooking show. Then one day I got caught by my dad. He said to me we’ll if your going to make them at least make them right. He gave me a Southern Cooking Cookbook from there I never stopped cooking. I went into Culinary Arts School directly after high school and graduated with a degree in Culinary Arts/Applied Science. During Culinary school I was chosen by the Dean of the school along with other peers to cater his personal parties at his home. We did this for about a year and it gave me some experience of private catering. After leaving Culinary school I thought to myself I don’t want to work at IHop or Olive Garden like my fellow peers chose. I wanted the top and the best. I applied at The Ritz Carlton Hotel in Washington, D.C. there I worked under 2 strict Asian woman Quey and Kim they were super precise with knife skills and the Art of Culinary. They would literally pop my hands and say NO NOT LIKE THAT LIKE THIS everytime I made the slightest mistake. I learned so much from them that still pours into my cooking today. While working at The Ritz Carlton I was able to see and cook for some of the most prestigious celebrities at that time. Celebrities flooded the Ritz Carlton at any given time such as Oprah, Angelina Jolie, Shaq, Eminem, and Micheal Jordan who at the time owned a 10 million dollar condo there. After working at the Ritz Carlton I moved up in the company and around. I got my first official Chef job at a prestigious museum in Washington, D.C. named The Hillwood Museum. It is the mansion of the late Marjorie Merriweather Post who is the daughter of the Post cereal owner. She collected these rare beautiful faberge eggs from all around the world. They are on display as well as other things collected. There’s also a beautiful Japanese garden on the grounds which is really beautiful. I was so proud to finally be a Chef and at such a prestigious place because when in Culinary school one of the first things they tell you is you will not be a Chef within the first 10 years of your career and I did it in 6 years. I was in charge of not only the restaurant but also the catering department for private events. This experience gave me alot of knowledge of catering and food costing something I had only learned a little bit about in school. While working at Hillwood Museum I met my dear friend/baby brother Dontrell Baskin. I took him under my wings while working as his Chef at Hillwood. After our time at Hillwood we worked a few other jobs together. One day we got a call from a family friend who wanted us to cater their event. I was nervous to take on such a big responsibility. Dontrell gave me the confidence to do it. He said to me sis we can do this and go into business on our own. After catering the event it was such a major success. Multiple people started to contact us from the event. I turned to my sister who has a degree in business management and asked her for help with opening a catering company. Together we formed a company called Posh and Classic Catering. Sadly shortly after having the company Dontrell passed away due to medical reasons. I was hit with major grief for quite sometime at the untimely death of my baby brother. I resigned from the company and decided to focus on my family and eventually went back to work. My first job back was MGM Casino under Jose Andrés at his restaurant FISH a Grill Chef there we served up some of Marylands finest seafood and steaks. I ended up hearing Wolfgang Puck was opening a new restaurant in D.C. and I wanted to work for him being one of the greatest. I immediately applied and was hired for the Grand Opening of Cut by Wolfgang Puck Restaurant at Rosewood Hotel. Not long after opening the restaurant/hotel experienced a major fire. During this time I was sent to New York to work under the hotel as Chef at the Famous Carlyle Hotel where Princess Diana once lived. Also the first place Megan Markle and Prince Harry visited upon arriving in America for the first time. I was set to work The Grammys for 2020 under Wolfgang Puck however Covid 19 hit us and redirected my entire life. During Covid I gave my life fully to Christ my Lord and Savior and asked him to guide me in the way I should go. Doors began to open ideas began to flow. I started out making lunchbags during Covid with my famous Charcuterie Board fixings. I still had a few clients who supported me from my old catering company who began to reach out. At the top of 2021 on day one I announced the opening of my new catering company Esculent 11 Catering in honor of my baby brother Dontrell Baskin. Many people don’t know I have 6 children. I began posting my meals for my children as if I was catering a dinner party. My children have always eaten nothing but the best and high quality foods from catering and working. It was the perfect way to showcase my skills and experience. I created a bit of a buzz on social media with my Pinneapple upside down Cheesecake baked inside of a Pinneapple and it was featured on Channel 7 News Goodmorning Washington. Clients began reaching out and just like a domino effect word of mouth travels. I had several past high in the industry Chefs shout me out on their pages, A few local celebrities, other News stations began to contact me, and before I knew it I got a call from Dr. Wendy Osefo of The Real Housewives Of Potomac. She was so lovely and humble and very supportive of me being a Black Female Entrepreneur her words were I want to showcase you on the show and in honor of Black History Month I’m choosing all Black Female Entrepreneurs to cater my upcoming event with the ladies I like your work. That event was her famous Nude Interlude Party based off a new trend that was happening all over social media. At the event she made it possible for me to present every dish on camera and I prepared a 4 course dinner for each of the ladies on the show. Since being on the show my company has continued to thrive yearly as I take on new adventures. I became a Private Chef for a Multi-Millionaire while still catering. Esculent 11 Catering is currently catering multiple millionaires, politician’s, local celebrities, and even the swearing in ceremonies of our Washington, D.C. judges. Most recently I have teamed up with an incredible Captain of a Luxury Yacht Company also female black owned Captain Chimere in Baltimore, Md. with Revenge Sauvage where I cater Course Dinners for guests aboard a Private Yacht. This partnership has placed me in the Yachting industry which is another new and exciting side to Culinary I’m learning. It is a much more different style of cooking in limited quarters and with motion. I’m always up for a challenge.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There is nothing smooth about the hospitality industry. It is a brutal, strong willed, passionate industry. I say anybody who has survived the hospitality industry for over 5 years is a strong person. My struggles along my journey were very hard and honestly I don’t know whether being black or female was the worst struggle. Being black in fine dining was terrible back in early 2000s. You did all the scum bucket work and never got credit you watched your superior a White Male take credit for everything you worked hard to do. Only a handful would come back and say good job. Black Chefs we could work on the line and keep the cooks in line but we were never invited in the office to learn the numbers. To be black and be a Chef was so prestigious it is painful to see how loosely the word Chef is used today. Even being Black and having a Chef position meant the bare minium of responsibility in a kitchen and someone over you could and would change what you said at any given moment. I had the blessings to be placed under a few good white Chefs who respected my hard work and always gave me credit. However, to be black in the industry as a whole those were the things you would deal with. To be female in a male dominanted industry and better than a male was also a big struggle. The sexual harassment and vulgar language in the kitchen is something I wouldn’t want anybody to witness. I was always placed on the grill in every job I ever worked. The Grill cooks are the highest paid in the kitchen. Why because you are handling the highest cost of the kitchen the meats. I would cook $200-300 dollar steaks daily can you imagine over cooking a steak at that price sometimes imported from another country? Many men didn’t respect me being their superior especially foreign cooks because in their country unfortunately woman aren’t respected as such. I could work the Grill on a busy night alone at times and every order cooked perfectly. I was named the Grill Queen I have worked some of the hottest Grills in the world the Josper Grill/Oven which is 7 times hotter than a normal Grill with live fire. Alot of men were very intimidated by me and I have made many men cry and take several breaks in a given shift.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Esculent 11 Catering ?
Esculent 11 Catering is an upscale catering company offering a wide range variety of services. We offer everything from Private Chef Services to Dinner for 2ppl on a Luxury Yacht we have teamed up with. We specialize in social and corporate events offering multiple styles of catering for your event. We are known for our decadent Charcuterie Boards and Grazing tables which are the highlight at every event. These boards can be customized to a clients preference. Such as a low-country board with added seafood boil fixins. Clients love to customize their boards with our wide variety of choices. What sets Esculent 11 Catering apart from other catering companies are my Sous Chefs. Though many of my events are now more private and intimate. When I receive a large event my Sous Chefs are hired to help with that event and are personal Chef friends from previous jobs I’ve worked for, all experienced with year’s in fine dining. Clients are not only receiving the quality in their food but also the quality in their Chef. I have so many friends in the industry that I have worked with for over 20 years. They all specialize in fine dining because I’ve mostly worked in fine dining establishments and luxury hotels. I’m proud to be able to staff my large events with not only friends but professional experienced Chefs that I know will get the job done. That is what sets my company apart from others and has rewarded me with the type of clientele I have today. The year’s of hard work, passion, and dedication to the Culinary field by me and my fellow Chef friends.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson I have learned in Culinary is mistakes create masterpieces so show yourself some grace.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Esculent11.com
- Instagram: Cheftiya11 or Esculent11
