We were lucky to catch up with André Natera recently and have shared our conversation below.

André, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I stepped away from being a professional chef at the beginning of the year after 27 years of kitchen work. What I noticed is there was a serious lack of mentorship and coaching in my industry. There are not enough chefs teaching you to become chefs and run a business, become a leader to navigate kitchen life.

Finding someone to teach you to sear a piece of fish or make a steak is easy these days due to social media and video content. However, leadership and mentorship for chefs might be less glamorous on social media. I decided to create Chef’s PSA to help spread the message to cooks and chefs and hopefully shorten their learning curve. I initially started it as a joke and intended it for my circle of chef friends, but as time went on it started to resonate within the chef community.

To date, I have written 3 books for chefs, stared a podcast (Chef’s PSA), and created an online learning class. This is just the beginning because what I have realized is that there is a much greater need than I realized and more work to be done.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I started out cooking professionally when I was 17 years old, I enrolled in culinary school and began to work in professional kitchens. I worked across the US in many kitchens including restaurants, hotels, resorts, clubs, and private events. I became an executive chef in 2005 and maintained that position until 2022 when I decided it was time to hang up the apron. I have been fortunate to work with many great chefs along the way and met some incredible people and had a modicum of success while doing it.

I was recognized in 2011 and 2012 by the Dallas Morning News as Best Chef DFW and received a 4-star review from their critic. In my most recent job, I was the Culinary Director for the Fairmont Austin Hotel which is the largest luxury hotel in Texas and the largest Forbes Travel Guide 4-Star hotel in the world. The hotel has multiple restaurants that I led including Garrison which was recognized consistently as one of the best in the city and the only Forbes Travel Guide 4-star restaurant in Austin.

Being the chef for such a large operation allowed me to lead many cooks where I had a staff of over 120 people. I took on mentorship and developing chefs and leaders as my #1 priority. When the pandemic began I realized that I needed to help those people more than ever as I no longer had direct access to them since many moved away and left the country.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Right now the goal is to reach as many people as I can and provide them with the knowledge to help them along their careers. Many cooks and chefs don’t have access to a mentor and can be afraid to ask questions in the kitchen. I have the time right now and I have the knowledge and experience to share with them. I am open and free to share information and have done a decent job at creating resources for knowledge.

I lived in an echo chamber as a chef and I realize that my small circle had access to experience and knowledge that we take for granted as chefs. I realize that there are many others that don’t know or just don’t have access to it. I needed to make knowledge accessible to everyone who works in the kitchen. Not only does this help them but it also helps the chefs and employers they work for. My goal is to leave the industry better than I found it. Social media and podcasts make it easier than ever to get the message out.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

That I had all the answers. I post a daily PSA on things to do or not to do in the professional kitchen. Most times in my experience as a chef people agree with me because I am the boss so I rarely had others question any of my logic. Yet on social media people who have nothing to fear challenge my statements which I believe to be kitchen truths and cause me to reflect on my statement if it is indeed valid or because I lived in a bubble. Most times they are opinions I have had previously and since then changed my mind through experience or they may be short-sighted for the goal. However, sometimes a new opinion comes through that causes me to rethink my point and at times change my belief which is fantastic. Because I love to learn and get better, my audience is helping me and by helping me I am able to help others.

Contact Info:

• Website: chefspsa.com
• Instagram: @chefspsa
• Linkedin: Andre Natera
• Twitter: @chefspsa
• Youtube: @chefspsa