Like most people, he suddenly had more time on his hands, so why not learn something new?
“We [had] to do something to make up for the lost revenue,” admits Reed during an episode of the “LIVE! Culinary Series” on why he started the Southern-
focused,
online
concept. “[I
thought]
maybe if I
ran two
businesses
out of one
location it
would really
help
because I
don’t have
any extra
overhead
other than
whatever
labor and
food costs
would be
involved.”
It was a
smart
decision
because he had already garnered a loyal following. The online bakery bolstered it. He sells a rotating list of Southern-inspired baked goods, including cherry hand pies, Hummingbird cake, braised collard green quiche, and a blackberry, caramel and sweet potato cobbler. They’re all made to order and from scratch. Orders are pre-paid, and customers may pick them up curbside or in the restaurant.
For former “Top Chef” contestant Tanya Holland, it’s about expanding her platform to reach a wider audience. The Oakland, Calif.-based chef/restaurateur says she launched the “Tanya’s Table” podcast because “food brings a lot of people together and learning about culture through food is a great way to experience the world.”
During her first season, which ended in October, the owner of the award-winning Brown Sugar Kitchen featured high-profile chefs Tyler Florence, Carla Hall and Alice Waters as well as A-List entertainers Questlove, Ledisi and Jesse Tyler Ferguson. The podcast is certain to bring more visibility, and revenue, to her establishment.
Whoever said hustling was a headache never met these hard-working chefs.
Chef Darnell Reed
Chef Tanya Holland has a new TV show on OWN called Tanya's Kitchen Table.