Meet Simone Miller | Private Chef

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

Hi Simone, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was born in Plantation Florida but raised on the beautiful island of Grand Bahama. Growing up in the Bahamas and coming from a close knit ,God fearing family molded me to be a very family oriented person which transferred over into my style of cooking. My grandmother , Maria Dorsett had a tremendous influence on me deciding to become a Chef, she was a cook for a resort called Ocean reef on the island of Grand Bahama and cooked for locals and tourists alike. During summer breaks she would take my brother and I to work with her . My grandmother would always bring me into the kitchen with her to watch her cook. She taught me how to scrabbled eggs and to make pancakes from scratch and this is where my love for food and cooking blossomed. Growing up I was taught to always make a way for myself and push for excellence while holding on to my dignity and integrity, to always respect people and to always trust in God . As a young girl I was able to see members of my family walk away from jobs that were no longer serving them and dive into the world of entrepreneurship and be successful! More than becoming i Chef I’ve always dreamed of being my own Boss.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The name of my business is Scorched Catering. Scorched offers a variety of services such as meal prep, cooking classes, small event catering and last but not least Personal Chef services. As a black small business owner I got to where I am today by having a strong support system.It was not easy to get to this point.The Covid-19 pandemic was a major set back for my business due to people not being able to host events . To pivot I started offering cooking lessons and meal prepping to keep the business afloat. I’ve learned to be patient with myself on this journey and to be consistent with perfecting my craft and marketing myself. I want the world to know that I am a classically trained chef that graduated from the Art Institute of Atlanta. I am 31 years of age. I named the business Scorched catering to pay homage to my favorite Bahamian dish called Scorched Conch and also my love for spices. I hope to one day own multiple restaurants across the U.S and islands of the Bahamas.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Cru lounge- Alpharetta The Select – Sandy Springs
Rum punch Brunch- Atlanta Ga
Steakatl

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to a few people , starting with my mother Carolyn Dorsett. My mom has always been supportive of my dreams of being a chef! She sacrificed so much to help me move to the U.S and paid my way through college. My mom has always been my biggest supporter. My sister friend Jewel Bullard for being my hype woman in all things ! For being my shoulder to cry on when life just isn’t going my way and for always reminding me that my hard work doesn’t go unnoticed. My brothers Cymal Miller & Derrick Broadwater for investing in my craft and encouraging me to put myself out there and be the best version of myself.

Instagram: @scorchedcatering @mona_badazz

Image Credits
Mr.Vicephotography Myself