Roots 2017 culinary conference: the road less traveled

Roots 2017 Culinary Conference: The Road Less Traveled

At our upcoming culinary conference, we will be holding a session focusing on The Road Less Traveled: Inventive Ways Chefs Are Diversifying Their Careers. And, for this session, we knew we needed to have Chef Rich Rosendale on the panel. He is a master chef – one of the most experienced competitive chefs in the country – and he continually amazes us with how he diversifies his own career, and how he helps other chefs to do the same.

In June 2013, Rich – who was serving as the Bocuse d’Or USA team leader – resigned from his prestigious executive chef position at the Greenbrier Resort. Today, he tells us that, when he resigned, he had no other job waiting in the wings. Plenty of people thought it was a crazy move to make but, as he explains in this TedX Talk, he was running out of runway, and was ready to move on to other ways of living that were deeply meaningful to him.

“Yes,” Rich tells us. “I resigned and I started over from scratch. But, my life is so exciting now. When I was at Greenbriar, I more or less knew what I was getting into each day. Now, things happen more organically and it’s been so rewarding to build something from the ground up, thinking outside of the box and being nimble with my approach.”

Rich now provides consultation services for people in the culinary industry and offers trainings all around the world. “I just got back from Ecuador,” he says, “and I’m getting ready to go to India. I also offer cooking classes once a month, each time in a different city around the globe.”

He owns Roots 657 Café and Local Market, with 657 describing the intersection where this culinary haven can be found. “Although my background was in fine dining,” he tells us, “this restaurant offers smoked meats and burgers, house-made soups and hand-cut fries. At the market, I just added Ecuadorian chocolates because I’m inspired by the people I meet and often offer their products. This market is not ego driven. It’s not about my food. It’s about the community.”

At the Roots 2017 culinary conference, the theme is Innovate – and Rich will be joined by Chef Manny Slomovits, Chef Matt Del Regno, Chef Bradford Thompson and Douglas Trattner as they discuss the innovative and exciting ways chefs are diversifying their careers to establish new revenue streams, make a lasting difference in the food world and keep their careers interesting and fulfilling. They will offer ideas and suggestions for how to diversify your own career and get things moving in myriad directions to keep work fun, enriching and financially viable.

“The internet,” Rich says, “really has made the world smaller, making it easier to monetize what you love. You no longer need a physical storefront. So, as just one example, let’s say you’re the chef at a local hospital and you think that’s all you can do. Well, if your passion is fundraising for charities or making interesting chocolates with exotic flavor profiles, we’ll share strategies about how you can make that happen.”

You can find more information about Rich Rosendale here. When asked for any final remarks about Roots 2017, he added that he is inspired by the people at The Chef’s Garden and the Culinary Vegetable Institute. “This is a remarkable place,” he says, “very special. Roots 2017 is the perfect opportunity for people to see this amazing place, which is iconic in the culinary world. You can experience the people there and the surroundings which, in combination, make this the perfect event to attend.”