Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Hinton.
Hi Melissa, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m Melissa Hinton Private Chef & entrepreneur
I learned the art of food appeal as a prepared foods team member at one of her first gigs in the early days of the now world brand, Whole Foods Market at the age of 19. My fine dining experience included working in one of the busiest kitchens in New Orleans the legendary Grill Room of Windsor Court Hotel as a kitchen supervisor.
Many years later, I became an Executive Chef for the University of Holy Cross in New Orleans From there I went on to own my own catering company & currently I work exclusively with pro athletes as their private chef. I am the owner of The private chef Collection, whereby you can purchase my spices, sauces, merchandise, cookbooks, etc. I am also the owner of Inspired Eyewear.
I believe what has helped me to get to where I am today has been humility, consistency and my dedication for/to culinary arts.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
This journey and road has not always been smooth but it’s been worth it, being a woman (a brown woman) In Culinary leading kitchens was not something you seen often. Therefore constantly trying to prove yourself in such a male-dominated field has had its challenges, it took a lot of tough skin & boldness to not give up in striving to be taken seriously in this food world.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an exclusive private chef working mostly with professional athletes which takes a particular level of knowledge of sports nutrition I’m currently working with clients of the New Orleans pelicans NBA. I specialize in focusing on nutrition regimens for the athlete, healthy meal plans & working with athletic clients in creating healthier options for the food they love & food that their body needs. In New Orleans I was honored by the ACFNO for being one of the 2019 Best Chefs of Louisiana. My clients will say that I am known for my New Orleans barbecue shrimp (they absolutely love it).
I am most proud of successfully raising my daughter as a single parent, she is now a current college student of the historical Dillard University. I’m so proud! I think what sets me apart from others is the ability to focus primarily on nutrition & helping my clients love enjoy healthier options, being from New Orleans our food culture is so huge, lots of our most popular dishes would not be considered very healthy or nutritious but definitely extremely delicious. Therefore working with clients with nutrition goals with an expectation to eat cleaner & stay health is my main focal point, it plays a huge role in how they perform on a basketball court or a football field, it really is so critically important.
It takes a particular level of education and understanding of meal regimens to be able to serve this level of clientele, I’m grateful that I’ve been able to digest the information needed to be private chef to these athletes, I wouldn’t trade it for nothing.
How do you think about happiness?
This probably sounds so lame, but what makes me happy is making my daughter happy, she’s an amazing daughter. Its always been me & her! Now that she’s attending college I feel like I live vicariously through her because I was not afforded the opportunity to attend a historical black college or university college such as Dillard however, I’ve been able to have culinary training… being able to afford to send her to college makes me so happy, I’m overjoyed!
Contact Info:
- Email: Chefmelissahinton@gmail.com
- Website: www.CHEFHINTON.online
- Instagram: @chefmelissahinton; @chefmelissahinton
- Facebook: Chef Melissa Hinton
