Meet Jasmine Warren: Chef

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jasmine Warren and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jasmine, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
Outsiders do not understand how much goes into being a Chef. It takes time, hard work, and a lot of long days. Its more than just putting pretty food on a plate. Its creating recipes, working holidays, and missing out on those fun nights out. Your hands, feet, and back will be destroyed eventually. I’m 25 and I already have problems with my back and feet lol! It’s a lot on your body mentally and physically. On my off days my mind is still working and thinking of new recipes. There’s hardly a break. Chefs sometimes go hours without eating or getting a bathroom break. Especially during a rush. Outsiders aren’t aware of how much food cost. Good quantity ingredients cost money! Being a woman in a kitchen of men can get hard. You’re bound to get crazy remarks, belittlement, and remarks about being a woman in general. It also can get really annoying rejecting dates every day.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m most proud of how far I’ve come. If someone would’ve told me that I would be shipping my desserts to New York, Atlanta, Washington, and many other states I wouldn’t have believed them. It wasn’t easy to get where I am. It was a lot of tears and frustration to get here and now I’m excited for what the future holds. As child I wanted to be a chef or an astronaut. Once I reached high school, my love of cooking outweighed being an astronaut. I still love science but now as a chef I can cook and work with science. I started watching Youtube videos and then I decided that I wanted to go to culinary school. I attended Shelton State for culinary and then I graduated from Johnson and Wales University where I majored in Baking and Pastry/Food service management. The biggest lesson I learned was to believe in myself. You may have people that will tell you that you can’t do something but that doesn’t mean you can’t. Don’t think of the people who don’t support you. Keep your focus on the people who do.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m pretty chill and I don’t really like crowds, neither do my friends. When I’m in Tuscaloosa my favorite place to go is Big Daddys Hookah Bar. We would go there and then to Roxy’s Bar for a few drinks. Birmingham also have a few clubs I would like to try out. In Charlotte? Me and my friends are going everywhere! In Charlotte my favorite place to go was Kandy Bar. Its located in the Epicentre. There are restaurants, Bars, clubs, and a movie theater all in the Epicentre. There’s even a CVS there in case you fall on your face and need a bandaid.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

I have to shout out my sister Shannon and my mom. They have been my biggest support! My sister is a fashion designer who has her own empire to build but she always makes time to help me build mine. Whenever I need advice or help she is there. Holding cakes, helping me deliver. They are good taste testers too and I know they will be honest no matter how blunt. Watching my sister take a leap of faith when starting her clothing line encourage me to finally focus on my talent.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefjkwarren/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jasminekwarren1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChefJkWarren/

Image Credits
Jasmine Warren