Today we’d like to introduce you to Roxanne Lapuyade.
Hi Roxanne, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Food has always been an important part of my life. At age 12, I became a vegetarian and cooked for myself because my busy mom couldn’t accommodate my dietary choices (I mostly ate cheese and ice cream!). As a teenager I learned the value of vegetables and would roll out of bed early on Saturday mornings to go to the farmer’s market while my friends slept in. Needless to say, I have been tinkering with food and valuing home cooked, seasonal food since my early years.
After running the produce department at the Natural Foods Co-op, I decided I wanted to get into the business of cooking food. I landed a job as the sous chef with a well known French chef in the area. She oozed creativity and we had an inspired time together creating daily menus with seasonal produce in Paso Robles, CA.
I left my sous chef position to open Roxanne’s Cafe, my own little lunch spot in downtown San Luis Obispo. This is where I really developed my own style of cooking and allowed my food values to guide my choices for the restaurant. Local, seasonal, and organic were top priorities at the cafe.
Once I closed the doors of Roxanne’s Cafe, I pivoted to doing personal chef work. Roxanne’s Recipes is the second iteration of my business where I cater small private events, meal prep weekly for busy clients and teach cooking classes. I get immense joy from sharing food with others and feel lucky everyday that I get to have my passion be my career!
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?
The biggest struggle I had in my career was the decision to close the cafe. I didn’t know what my next step would be or how I would continue to work with food. There were lease and kitchen remodel issues, I was totally strapped to the business. I needed to make a change so I took a leap of faith.
Closing the cafe was the best decision I could have made. I now have more freedom with my time, less weight on my shoulders and still get to cook and teach. I made the scary decision that was also the right decision and it put me on the path to opening Roxanne’s Recipes.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Cooking on the Central Coast of California has really informed my culinary style. The long growing seasons and the abundance of high quality produce gives many colors to create dishes with. If I had to describe my style I’d say it is vegetable-centric with bright, bold flavors and punctuated with fresh herbs and acidity.
Roxanne’s Recipes is the umbrella under which I do all of my culinary work which is a dream because I prefer variety in my days. During the week, I have regular clients that I meal prep for. I arrive at their home, cook up a storm and then leave each client with a fridge full of healthy food and a clean kitchen. I love this work because it supports people in maintaining healthy habits and allows them to have more time to spend with loved ones and work on projects.
The rest of my schedule includes catering small events and teaching cooking classes. I love creating menus to celebrate special moments. I usually collaborate with my clients to work out a menu that feels exciting, seasonal and suitable for the occasion. It would be a dream to have a location to teach cooking classes but for now, people hire me to come to their home and teach for a date night, bachelorette or birthday party. This is so fun because it is empowering to know how to cook, even if it is just a couple of dishes.
My schedule is always shifting and changing so reach out! I love talking about food, my services and other opportunities.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Entrepreneurship and food is a part of my family history. My father owned a French bakery when I was a child and they delivered breads and pastries from San Francisco to San Luis Obispo county on a daily basis. My Grandfather owned La Bourgogne, a high end, classic French restaurant in San Francisco that closed in 1981. He (my Grandpa Jean) got his start as a chef in a prisoner camp in Spain during WW2. My great grandmother lived in a farmhouse in the Pyrenees where she made cheese and served food to guests as an impromptu cafe. I am proud to be continuing the tradition of cooking and serving people that my family has been doing for generations.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.roxannesrecipes.com
- Instagram: @roxannes_recipes
