Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenn Beach.
Jenn, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
In another lifetime, which was about a decade ago, I was working as a line-cook in an esteemed Michelin star restaurant in New York City. And I never hated anything more in my life. Every day I’d go to work, I felt like I was showing up for someone else’s dream. There was a time when I thought I wanted to be that kind of Chef. Militant and always perfect. But once I was in the thick of it I felt so out of alignment with the lifestyle. The cut throat environment. The lack of camaraderie. And the toxic atmosphere that permeated through it all. I had no connection to the food that I was creating or the people that I was serving it to and I was heading for burn-out.
At this point I’d already climbed the ranks through several restaurants and catering kitchens and knew I needed to try something entirely different. I’d never seriously thought about being a Private Chef, but hey? What could it hurt. I created an ad and posted it on Craigslist “Plant Based Private Chef looking for work” and within the week I had two clients. By the next week, I had secured a third. And that was it. I was a private chef now.
One of my clients was struggling with type two diabetes and the adverse effects of their medication- and her family reached out to me to create low-glycemic raw vegan menus to reverse the damage of her medication and stabilize her insulin levels. Following the guidance of a doctor located out in Sedona, slowly but surely, she started to heal. And that really opened my eyes to the food-is-medicine modality that I believe so strongly in today and is the now the basis of my business.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Becoming a Private Chef was easy. Attaining the clients, creating the menus, and producing the food was pretty streamline. It’s running a small business that I struggled with. Things like making sure that I adhered to state and federal filing deadlines and setting aside funds to pay my taxes fell by the wayside. I got slammed with some pretty daunting consequences due to my negligence and time and time again I had to learn the hard way. It can be difficult to wear all of the hats and ensure that everything is always getting done, because at the end of the day the only person I needed to show up for is myself. And as a boss I can be pretty lenient. Building yourself up to be the person who can attain the things you dream about is the biggest challenge. It’s you against you.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
The food-is-medicine modality is the foundation where all of my work stems from. My business is pretty multi-faceted but there’s almost always a holistic undertone to everything I do. The majority of the food that I create it plant-based, low-inflammatory, abundant, and vibrant.
I provide medicinal meal prep for private clients from with different variations of dietary ailments & allergies. I create balanced menus weekly that will optimize their health and lower their inflammation. That way their bodies can focus on healing rather than staying stuck in the cycle of fighting against the foods that are causing damage. This also includes food pairings and the order in which they consume the food. There’s no better feeling than when a client has been on one of my plans for a few weeks or months and start reporting that their issues are disappearing and their lab results are improving.
In these last few years I have been delving into the world of Ayurveda, where the food we consume is paramount. I’ve been so lucky to have an incredible mentor and partner, who’s given me the opportunity to once again be the student, and create experiences for others to discover Ayurveda. We started a supper club called The Ayurvedic Supper club that meets every other month, host day retreats called The Ayurvedic Royals, and curate Pancha Karma Retreats for a fully immersive detoxification inside and out.
Wellness retreats are another pillar of my business; providing nourishing, low-inflammatory and delicious meals for the guests to keep them fueled and support their healing process through sustenance. Many people have strange relationships with food, wether it be traumas tied to certain things, eating disorders, and just a general lack of exposure and knowledge. There’s always a turning point at each retreat where some or sometimes all of the guests have an “ah-ha” moment where they realize they feel so good because of the clean and nourishing food they’ve been eating all week. They always promise that they’ll utilize the things they’ve learned and the recipes that I share and I really hope that they do.
Additionally, I teach a variety of cooking classes, curate private dinner parties, and occasionally cater an event or two.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I’ve become very intrigued by Dr. Uma Naidoo and her series of books. The first one being, “This is Your Brain on Food” that focuses on the connection between our gut health and our mental health. A healthy gut is the foundation of everything. It controls our hormone levels which affect every aspect our being. Our energy, our mobility, endurance and mood. No amount of miracle supplements or medication can create balance in the body the way that wholesome, nourishing foods can.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.whatscookinbeach.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/whatscookinbeach
