Today we’d like to introduce you to Antoine Bailey
Hi Antoine, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I first started Chef Bailey & co catering company in 2022. This has been a step in the right direction since I want to own my own brick and Mortar restaurant one day. I have spent the last 15 years of my life dedicated to the craft, putting long hours in to get to where I am. I have worked for some of the most elite chefs here in St. Louis and now it is my turn to start making my own legacy. Cooking has never just been a job to me, it has always been a way of life, learning about diverse cultures and being able to represent them in the best possible light in my dishes. Everything that I cook has a story to tell, it is something that was taught to me, and the feelings I remember having as I learned them are even a dish that represents the journey I am on and how certain ingredients make me feel. But everything plays a role in who I was and who im becoming as a chef.
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?
During the process I cannot say that it has just been smooth because with everything that you do you will be faced with obstacles and challenges. But you need those as an entrepreneur and a business owner so that you can learn. They help you pave a path to success. You truly must learn how to keep going, if there is an obstacle you must learn to get around it teaches you how to pivot. And when you can do that, you really start to grow into the person you needed to become. Some of the struggles I have faced starting off has been how do I want people to Perceive who Chef Bailey is, how am I representing my brand in the best light. How do I break into an industry that already has great chefs and what will make me different? Those are some of the challenges I had to face with myself.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an Executive Chef of a Hotel in St. Louis MO called the Pennywell Hotel, and I also have my own catering company called Chef Bailey & co. I create food that makes people want to try it its pairings that you would not think paired well together are other dishes that just make you think about a memory in your life. My food is curated to have the consumer stepping out of their comfort zone and trying things that may not always be the norm or usual to them. My food provokes feelings, it brings joy, and it is creative and innovative. I take pride in what I do, I use each locally sourced ingredients and I bring them to life. I’m becoming known for doing different events in a setting that’s not a restaurant and bringing the atmosphere to life. I host dinner events in different locations as a pop up and I build a dining room and kitchen, so you get the full service of an elegant dinner with a bar and you have a server who waits on you. It’s normally a three course dinner event.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
If you are just starting out getting into this field, I would say find a mentor. Someone that you like and someone you want to learn from and see if they can teach you. You must understand and appreciate discipline because that is the only way you can make it on your journey. It will not be an easy road but once you get to where you need to go you will appreciate the difficult moments, the hardships, the long hours in a hot kitchen, the importance of learning and finding your style. Through the journey you will find your story and create your voice, and everyone will be able to tell through your food. Just put one foot in front of the other and keep going, you will make it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://chefbaileyco.com
- Instagram: chef_bailey_co
- Facebook: Chef Bailey & co
