Meet Blake Krehbiel of Scratch Food and Beverage

Today we’d like to introduce you to Blake Krehbiel

Hi Blake, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I have 13 siblings. Growing up, I was often fed wonderfully home cooked meals by my mom, who is an excellent cook herself. When I was 14, I started cooking in the kitchen with her, fascinated to learn how to cook these meals. By the time I was 15, I was cooking for my whole family regularly. Both the love my mom instilled in me for cooking, and the fact that I was cooking for such a large group daily helped set the foundation for me to become a professional chef.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I started working in the restaurant industry to put myself through college. I was studying English and wanted to be a sci-fi writer. The first line cooking job I ever had was nothing like what I expected. While I met a lot of my life long beat friends there, I was not fulfilled in the work I was doing. It wasn’t until my last semester of college that I moved from Franklin to Nashville and had to find a new job. I got a job as a fine dining chef at The Chef and I, and I didn’t realize how wildly unqualified I was when I started, but the teachers I had and the creativity they inspired in me helped mold me into the chef I am today. By the time I finished school, I had such a passion for what I was already doing that I decided to dive further and further into it instead of pursing writing like I once thought I would.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Scratch Food and Beverage?
I recently started my own catering business called Scratch Food and Beverage. I have always been passionate about starting food from scratch, and now I am part of a business that I can dedicate to making quality food from scratch for all kinds of events. On top of that, I am also going to be hosting group amd private cooking classes, cooking competitions, pop-up dinners, and hope that eventually, I will be able to open a full service restaurant.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I do my best to follow great chefs that I learn about on Instagram Not TV chefs, but Nashville locals who are doing a great job pushing the food scene forward in my city. I love watching their growth. Sometimes when my creative energy is running low, I can scroll and be inspired by how they are pushing themselves, and all of a sudden I am rejuvenated.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefblakekrehbiel?igsh=MWUydjZxb3k3OXR4bA==