Chef Barret Beyer is a Long Island native whose passion and dedication has allowed him to excel and succeed in every aspect of his professional and personal development. Born in 1976, he quickly displayed an affinity to creative culinary expression. His desire to help others and improve the lives of those who surrounded him led to the enlistment with the United States Coast Guard. It was during this time of military service where he first realized his life dream when taking on the responsibility of kitchen management while serving his counterparts.
Upon completion of military service Chef Barret proceeded to further his education at Long Island’s Prestigious Culinary Academy where he graduated at the top of his class. Chef Barret successfully completed SERVSAFE certification and also passed the Nassau County Board Of Health Manager Certification course. Immediately after graduation Chef Barret was selected to participate in a unique opportunity with Bella Skye Catering to work on the set of Food Network’s Series “CHOPPED.” Although he did not compete on the show the experience of preparing dishes for the film staff and renowned Judges; Geoffrey Zakarian (Iron Chef), Marc Murphy and Chef Aaron Sanchez only increased his desire to become a leader in the culinary industry. Shortly thereafter, He was also chosen to take part in a cook off challenge against Food Networks Chef Robert Irvine live on stage at the Westbury Theater. Chef Barret was then fortunate enough to make it onto the biggest cooking competition in the US, Hell’s Kitchen Season 11 and just a year after the season ended he was at it again only this time on Food Network’s Kitchen Casino.
Chef Barret has organized and raised money and cooked warm meals to feed the people of Long Beach after Super storm Sandy hit. He went out to Oklahoma and teamed up with Johnsonville Sausage Company to help cook and raise money and items for the victims of the F5 Tornado that ripped through Moore County, Oklahoma. Chef Barret is also a Spokesperson for “Bullyin’ We’re Kickin it” a Rocky Marciano Jr. organization, And also does a yearly fundraiser for Michelle’s Place Breast Cancer Resource Center in Temecula California, Now you can even tune in and listen to Chef Barret as he is the Host of his new internet radio show “Triple F with The Chef” on ITunes. Chef Barret was named Chef of the Month for November 2013 via Chef Works, one of the leading and largest culinary manufacturers in the industry.
Chef Barret will continue to pursue consistent growth, creativity, and culinary development through the positive interaction of culinary leaders. For now, rest assured his strong desire to share his culinary knowledge with others, and to provide personal chef services/classes for the inexperienced cooks/chefs will rapidly establish Chef Barret’s brand and associated added value.
What does your typical day look like?
- Every day for me starts and finishes different than the one before. Since I work for myself I spend a lot of time Networking, sending out emails to various Food & Wine Festival Organizers, Promoting my services Via social media, following up on leads or people I spoke with at one of my events and book my own appearances, demonstrations and private dinners.
What techniques and tools do you use to keep yourself organized?
- My iPhone is my best friend next to my Knives. I keep separate folders in my iCloud differentiating which ones are “Chef Inquiries” through my website of someone that wants more information about myself or my services and also “Demo Emails” where I keep all correspondence with various Food & Wine Festival organizers and I “Flag” really important emails that I need to correspond with at the first free moment I get (like the email that had this questionnaire attached to it)
Was there a person in your career who really made a difference?
- 2 people actually, 1-Chef Chris Carriello. He gave me my first Restaurant kitchen job and took me under his wing and basically taught me everything he knew. He helped me set a bar for myself when it comes to being creative with food and always push yourself and try new things. Never be afraid to make a mistake. 2- Gordon Ramsay, after being a contestant on Hell’s Kitchen Season 11 and working alongside Chef Ramsay was truly priceless. The amount of knowledge I received from just being on the show and watching him and what he does is priceless.
Where do you think the most significant growth will occur in the Food & Beverage Industry in the next few years?
- Gourmet Food Trucks…. It has been on an up rise for a few years already. Now that the movie Chef has been released this year it seems that a lot of Chefs that I know are entertaining the idea of getting a Food Truck. They are being recognized more and more and going to become a staple in most states if they aren’t already.
What’s your first memory of your love for cooking?
- When I was about 13 years old my mother taught me what to do with left over spaghetti from the night before. A little butter in a pan and add your pasta and then crack 2 eggs over the pasta after it warms up and then finish it off with American cheese… I know it sounds weird but I still eat it to this day… give it a try you will love it!!
When did you know you wanted to be a Chef?
- December 31st / January 1st, 2011- New Years Eve dinner service.. I had showed up for my shift at 1 North Steakhouse in The Hamptons and Chef Chris Carriello had said to me that he was going to be 1 person short on the line for service that night and we had 175+ reservations on the books already. Now up until this point I had only worked in his restaurant 2 maybe 3 days a week for about 2 months and only on the Garde manger station so naturally my nerves went crazy when he said he was bumping me up to the line. Needless to say the orders came in like there was no tomorrow and I got such a rush from that service and even a few “Compliments to the Chef” from guests which gave me a feeling inside that cannot be put into words.
Where were you trained, and how difficult was your training?
- I went to a certificate program at Star Career Academy in Syosset NY. I chose this school because it worked around my work schedule and was very affordable for me. It wasn’t difficult at all for me. I showed up early and left late, I asked a lot of questions and volunteered for anything and everything that I could learn from.
What do you love most about your job?
- Being able to travel the country and meet new people and share my passion for food with the world
Describe your style in three words.
- Fierce Simple Edgy
What’s your favorite dish to create?
- I don’t really have a favorite per say but I like to take everyday ingredients that can be found at any local supermarket and incorporating ingredients into a dish that they normally would never be found in
Where do you draw your creative inspiration from?
- My travels.. I eat out at different places when I am traveling and doing Demonstrations and always think how I can make whatever it was that I had even better.
What four ingredients are necessary in your kitchen?
- Flour, Eggs, Heavy Cream and BACON… if I ever don’t have any food I can always make some pasta…… and eat a lot of bacon!!
If you could prepare a meal for anyone, who would it be and what would you make?
- Eva Mendez and I would ask her what is the one dish that would make her lose all control lol and then I would make that for her hoping I could get lucky after dinner
What are you most proud of in your career?
- How I never let anything or anyone get in my way to achieve whatever goal it is I set for myself. I have made it so far in the 3 years that I have been cooking because I work harder than most and I never let anything knock me down,I get up stronger every time.
Who is your biggest supporter?
- My Mother & Father. Lets face it a Chef’s Pay is not the ideal salary for anyone unless you’re the Head Honcho. We all hit rough patches in life and since I was let go from my last job I had before starting my own company I was literally scraping by and even had to borrow money from my parents from time to time. They have always been there for me and just want to see me be successful.
What would you want to have as your last meal?
- I don’t know if it can be considered a “meal” but I would have to say Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups…. I kind of have an addiction to them.
Are there any foods you just don’t like?
- I am not a fan of Curry…. Something about the smell that just turns me off
What do you think is the most challenging ingredient to work with?
- I don’t really have 1 ingredient that is the most challenging but I would have to say that when I see ingredients that I have never used before I tend to buy them to see what I can do with it. That in itself is a challenge I give myself.
Do you do the cooking at home?
- I live by myself so sometimes when I am writing a new recipe or trying to come up with a new dish I will always be cooking until I get it right, but when I am not doing any of that I am eating cup o noodles soup and BLT’s.
Funniest kitchen incident ?
- Watching the Kitchen staff at 1 North Steakhouse in Hampton Bays blast music at the end of service and jump around dancing because the last ticket for the night came in.
Favorite kitchen equipment or gadget ?
- My food processor & my meat grinder . With these 2 pieces of equipment you can make magic happen.
Tell me 3 things that you consider to be your cooking strengths.
- Timing, Adaptability, Speed
If you had just one wish, what would it be?
- I wish I would be better Financially Stable.. I am doing well for myself now, but I wish I would have more stability.
What do you find beneficial about having a Chef’s Roll profile?
- Having a Chef’s Roll profile is like having your own mini website. My name I associated with other Chef’s from around the globe with Michelin Star restaurants. To be seen alongside some of them is just amazing
Are you working on any big projects now?
- I am always working on Big projects and 10 things at once because not everything you try is going to work out, so having multiple things going on at once then some of them are bound to pan out. I am currently in talks with and LA Based company to develop and shoot my own show.
If you were to give someone just one piece of advice, what would it be?
- This industry can make or break some of the strongest people in the world, but if you have that passion burning inside of you, nothing will stop you from reaching your goals. You will make a lot of “Mistakes” and you will fall flat on your face from time to time and you must get up every single time and dust it off. Be Positive, Think Positive, Speak Positive and Act Positive and Positive things will come your way….. I AM LIVING PROOF!!
For more information please visit https://chefsroll.com/ChefBarret
