Today we’d like to introduce you to Louise Smith.
Hi Louise, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
As a teenager, I was challenged by my mother to make a fancy dessert-cheesecake-for a dinner party. That’s where my love of creating beautiful and flavorful food began. I expanded from there and kept working with local, seasonal foods, hosting dinner parties with friends for them to sample and critique. Years later, after being laid off from a ‘corporate job,’ while being encouraged by those friends, I opened my own catering company. That was 2004. I started in Santa Barbara, where I lived, and found growing the business challenging.
Very soon after opening my business, I decided that I needed to know more about food and wine pairing, so I got a job at Brander Vineyard in Santa Ynez Valley – Santa Barbara Wine Country. I went from working a few weekends a month to full-time, moving into the position of Tasting Room Manager. In 2009, I was able to purchase a home in Solvang and made the short move. This was a game changing move. My business grew via word of mouth and I continued to study wine, helping me pair the amazing local wines with the organic, fresh, local produce and foods available in the area.
I have worked in various wineries over the years, and still do so while offering small event catering and private chef services. My life is all about food and wine, what can I say?
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My road has had many forks and I feel like I chose the rougher path. Leaving the corporate world of secure salary and benefits, I struggled at first. Financially it has been a challenge, but I have maintained a day job (working in the wine business: serving in tasting rooms, teaching wine sales and service, driving tourists to wine destinations) while growing my catering business.
There were a few lean years in the late 2010’s and then the pandemic hit, certainly wiping out my life savings to keep my Thai food take out business open and paying not only my mortgage, but the rent on a 1000 square foot commercial kitchen.
I had to make a hard decision and I chose to give up the kitchen and refocus my business on small event catering and mostly private chef work, where a commercial kitchen is not needed.
I continue to enjoy working in the wine business and providing catering services in Santa Barbara County. With the many vacation rentals in the area and the amazing reviews my clients have graciously provided over these many years, I can pick and chose what events I want to work.
As you know, we’re big fans of Louise’s Kitchen Table. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Louise’s Kitchen Table is a small business (I’m the only employee!), offering private chef services, small event catering, in-home cooking classes and meal preparation. I opened the business in 2004, under a different name. Moving to the Santa Ynez Valley has helped solidify my commitment to offering local, fresh, organic foods in a creative and flavorful way. I have a unique confidence in the kitchen and am comfortable cooking anything. I am known as The Cheesecake Lady and offer a variety of cheesecake flavors. In 2024, I produced a cheesecake calendar, hi-liting ‘The Most Christmassy Town in California – Solvang’ The recipes are available on my blog on my website (www.louiseskitchentable.com).
I am proud of all the culinary creations I have made over the years and think my longevity and experience set me apart. I am easy going and comfortable working with familes, individuals and event organizers as well as cooking in any kitchen! I have had the priviledge of working with fabulous people in some of the most beautiful homes throughout Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez. I am calm and am able to pivot if there is a snag. I am well organized and very timely, offering guidance to my clients with open, honest and consistent communication.
I understand that potential clients may chose another avenue when it comes to venues, pricing and food choices, so I always offer any assistance I can to help them get what they want.
People say I am easy to work with, can read the room and have a great sense of humor. I love what I do and I think that shines through.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I am easy to contact and willing to work with other chefs, vendors and experts in their fields. I do have a core group of support contractors that have helped me over the years. I just hope that people will reach out to me if they need anything and I look forward to more collaboration, supporting other talented individuals and organizations.
Pricing:
- Cheesecakes: $35-$125
- Private Dinners: $125-$250/Per Person
- Appetizers/Lunch: $35-$100
- Cooking Classes: $100-$200/Per Person
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.louiseskitchentable.com
- Instagram: Louise’s Kitchen Table
- Facebook: Louise’s Kitchen Table
- LinkedIn: Louise Smith
- Yelp: Louise’s Kitchen Table
