Rising Stars: Meet Raenel Stelly

Today we’d like to introduce you to Raenel Stelly. Them and their team share their story with us below:

Has branded herself as Chef Rae, originally from Oakland, California, she moved here nearly 17 years ago to attend Fisk University, from Oakland, California.  

While growing up her family had a garden and a grapefruit tree. After graduating from high school, she worked with Bay Area Garden Corps and helped to plant and cultivate a 1-acre garden, as well as speaking with kids about the importance of farming and eating healthy.  

With a passion for education and learning, she has been involved in many extra-curricular activities and volunteer opportunities; with Chefs Move to Schools, Meals to Heal, Atlanta’s Africa’s Children Fund Charity, Metro Nashville Health Department, and TennderCare partnership, the James Beard Blended Burger Project, Hands on Nashville, Fisk and Belmont University, and Gilda’s Club of Middle TN; her love for community and philanthropy definitely don’t go unnoticed. Chef Rae was a culinary arts teacher as well for Antioch High School in Antioch, TN.  

She has also volunteered and assisted chefs at the Nashville Music City Eats festival for the last couple of years, working with Chef Mike Lata, Chef Graham Elliott from Masterchef, and Chef Aaron Sanchez. She has now made a debut of her own at the Nashville Food and Wine Festival, May 2016, with her business Rae’s Cuisine, A Personal Chef Service, and at the Taste in November 2015, where she was awarded best appetizer.  

Raenel has auditioned for MasterChef, TopChef, and Beat Bobby Flay; in hopes of one day being on TV herself. Raenel has graduated into cooking lessons, meal plans, cooking demonstrations, parties, and events. She is rated one of the top 10 personal/private chefs in Nashville, and appeared in the Nashville scene. She has been requested by clients in Chicago and has done events in Florida and Atlanta. She appeared on Today in Nashville, where she did a holiday pie segment. She has her own seasoning, and cooks with an unbeatable amount of passion and determination; her life pours on her plate and embeds itself in her food.  

She specializes in Mexican, Asian, Italian, and California-Fresh cuisine. After losing 135+ pounds, she understands the need for healthier food options and has proven to be able to reinvent dishes that normally contain high amounts of fat. She was winner of the best appetizer, at the Chamber of Commerce LGBT the taste, among only restaurants; the only private/personal chef in attendance. She unveiled an amazing eggplant tostada at her booth. She was also on the Chattanooga Butter Brand Team and took 8th in the World Chef Challenge at the World Food Championships this year. In her spare time, she enjoys painting with acrylics and or learning/studying something new. She is a huge TV series fanatic and loves spending time with family. On a mission to become a global chef, a household brand, and to be known and admired for her tenacity and determination to be successful, she continues to put the food on your plate.  

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?
It definitely has not been a smooth road.  

From kitchen closures to a bad truck mechanic, delayed openings, job changes, to false business promises it has not been easy but I continue to reinvent myself by creating opportunities for myself by diversifying my abilities. I’m much more than a chef and have now turned into a business advisor/consultant for others who are starting their own businesses.  

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in private events and catering, primarily in the client’s home, from cooking classes, dinner for 2, birthday parties, baby showers, and events out of state (traveling private chef). I am known for my creole/Cajun, and Jamaican food. Some dishes that people love are my oxtails and polenta, shrimp and grits, catfish and grits. I am known for being from the Bay Area and I never stopped saying “Hella” and created a seasoning 5 years ago called “Hella Seasoned” a Cajun-Mexican Seasoning> “Don’t Be Salty, Get Seasoned”. I’m proud to have created something so special and I never imagined being this good at what I do. I can take a minimal amount of ingredients and make something great on a plate. What sets me apart is being a culinary instructor, culinary mentor, and one focused on agribusiness/farming, health, and education.  

So maybe we end by discussing what matters most to you and why?
My Causes Children • Civil Rights and Social Action • Disaster and Humanitarian Relief • Economic  

Empowerment • Education • Environment • Health • Human Rights • Poverty Alleviation • Science and Technology  

I grew up in Oakland, California on the same block as Pixar. I’ve done nothing but dream and imagine myself in spaces where I felt like I belong and try to create avenues of opportunities for myself and then in turn make opportunities for someone else through scholarship and service. As a kid, we didn’t always have the money for food, and we were poor. My mom had 3 sons and then me, myself and my older brother eventually went to go live with our dad, but through these experiences, I understand what it means to be poor and hungry, and ultimately, I want to find a way to feed a community, a city, an entire village of people. 

Pricing:

• Catering Events begin at $600
• Cooking classes start at $150 + $35/pp (food costs not included)
• Weddings start at $2,000
• Business services (business credit and business advisor services)-$75/hour

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.chefraecooks.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/chefraecooks
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/chefraecooks
• Twitter: www.Twitter.com/chefraecooks
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCixKMah-B2k2OorlSs4sm0w
• Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/chef-rae-nashville

Image Credits
Jeff Mertz