Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Collazo.
Hi Brittany, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
After culinary school and working in a couple of restaurants, I had the opportunity to mentor under an executive chef who helped me realize I could (and should) take the two things I love, cooking and children, and find my true happy place. It was then, a little over seven years ago, Lettuce Cook was established. When Covid hit, I went virtual with the classes and they eventually grew to include children from all over the country. Our team-building classes also grew as companies and universities searched for ways to keep their employees and students connected while working from home.
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?
Not always. Like anything else, there have been what I consider “growth opportunities.” All children are invited to participate in our cooking classes so depending on the age group of the class, it can be challenging to get non-allergy students to understand the importance of respecting food safety.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a chef who loves sharing the cooking experience with people. While I may be known more as a cooking teacher to children, I also love working with adults of all ages. Cooking is a fantastic way to unplug from technology and it really is a universal language.
I’d have to say I’m most proud of pursuing this dream. It wasn’t easy ignoring those negative thoughts that would sometimes creep in. With all the cooking shows readily available, not to mention all the cooking content on YouTube, I remember thinking no one’s going to be interested in taking cooking lessons. But I also knew I had something impactful to offer and was determined to make it happen.
Clients appreciate that our lessons aren’t cooking demonstrations and I receive so much feedback thanking and complimenting me on how delicious the food is. It’s always exciting to hear how impressed they are with the food THEY prepared!
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Absolutely. Like so many other businesses, Lettuce Cook had to adapt to survive. Almost overnight, I went from discouraging technology in the kitchen to it becoming the tool we depended on to resume classes. This interactive virtual experience forced me to develop new techniques of teaching and understanding the needs of my students. There are times when the class is so large, I have to use multiple monitors. I quickly learned to not only concentrate on what I’m teaching and preparing in my kitchen but to also watch the 120+ individuals (sometimes with more than one student on a screen) in their kitchen. And working with individuals from all over the country as well as in other countries, I have to be able to quickly come up with substitutions for those who live in areas that don’t carry the same ingredients my recipes often call for.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lettucecook.net
- Instagram: Lettucecook_htx
