Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jan Parker . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Jan, thanks for joining us today. Is there a historical figure you look up to? Who are they and what lessons or values have you learned from them?

Nelson Mandela is a historical figure I look up to. I’ve listened to his book, “Long Walk to Freedom”.

Nelson Mandela is the first Black person to be the nation’s head of state in South Africa. After 46 years of apartheid, he contributed to organizing and protesting to overthrow the seditious government which had racial segregation in place. Black people did not have the same rights in South Africa during this time, they had to use separate bathrooms, transportation, and interracial marriage was not permitted.

During Mandela’s time in prison for 27 years he was able to organize and make impact through his incarceration. The environment in prison was inhumane and the treatment of black prisoners was appalling.

There was no freedom for Black people to travel freely amongst the country. Every movement was tracked by permits. If they were going to go to the next town they needed to have permission from the government.

Nelson Mandela is an example of how the human spirit cannot be contained and if you believe in something enough, it can happen. During his time in prison he was able to communicate with his counterparts and organize. Most importantly, he was a symbol of hope.

As a Filipina business owner, I face many challenges, however, we have so much privilege compared to people who experienced apartheid. There is still work to be done in the US, however, Nelson Mandela’s story has given me the opportunity to strengthen my mind in times of difficulty.

The key with Nelson Mandela’s success is organization and providing support to his community. We are a small business, but we know the impact we have within our community within our workspace and customers. Our relationships are taken seriously.

Mandela’s story has forever changed my perspective of mindset, privilege and gratitude.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Over the past five years, I have been sharing my love for Filipino food with the Tacoma, WA community, and the response has been overwhelming. We have successfully operated a farmers market stand & catering services, offering fresh and distinct Filipino cuisine.

Both of my parents are immigrants from the Philippines. My father, Orly, worked at the kitchen galleys in the Navy, while my mother was an avid cook who loved entertaining her friends with a full Filipino spread. After my father passed away from cancer when I was eleven, my mother continued to cook and lovingly feed my brother and me, despite working several jobs and being exhausted.

Cooking and serving the community have been my life’s dedication. After transitioning from a career in mortgage banking in my thirties, I gained valuable experience by working at notable establishments such as The Four Seasons Hotel Seattle and Vulcan Inc. Private Estate. I also had the opportunity to contribute to the award-winning PBS show “Cooking with Nick Stellino” and stage at Modernist Cuisine. Additionally, I have demonstrated proven success with our current farmers market operation and catering services through Jan Parker Cookery. Apart from being a chef, I have also devoted myself to advocating for the BIPOC community and women small business owners. I take pride in being a champion for the Filipino community and was the first Filipina to sell food at the Proctor Farmers Market since its opening in the 1990s.

While we currently operate out of a humble canopy, I refuse to let this limit myself and our team. We serve incredibly delicious and life-changing food. In 2020, I was honored to receive the “Best Chef” award from South Sound Magazine. In 2022, The Tacoma News Tribune recognized me as one of the “6 Women Reshaping the Restaurant Scene in Tacoma.” Our progress has also been covered by various media outlets, including Armed Forces Network, Eater Seattle, KUOW NPR, International Examiner, South Sound Talk, Travel Tacoma, Marcus Samuelson’s “No Passports Required,” Tacoma News Tribune, 100 Things to Do in Tacoma Before You Die, Sip Northwest, and NorthwestMilitary.com.

Mission Statement:

As a chef, my mission is to introduce Filipino cuisine to a wider audience and promote diversity in the culinary world. By showcasing exceptional dishes and the communities behind them, I aim to broaden people’s knowledge and understanding of Filipino food and culture. Through my cooking, I hope to create a stronger and more inclusive community where everyone can come together and appreciate the delicious and unique flavors of the Philippines. Ultimately, my goal is to use food as a tool to connect people and foster cultural understanding and appreciation.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

The Farmer’s Markets and outdoor events we occupy field thousands of people and we have a board with all of our social media outlets, so even if we do not captivate business for the customers first time at the market, they will be inclined to follow our social media presence. My page is a business and personal page. It has documented my journey as a chef and growing small business owner. The biggest advice I can give is to be yourself and be honest.

We recently did a kickstarter and our following went from a low 6K to 7K followers. On our page we post our location/event announcements, preview menu items, highlight our team and so much more. Social media is truly powerful, we were able to successfully fund our Kickstarter with the involvement of our community on social media.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

After working in professional kitchens for 10 years, it was apparent the industry is male dominated and most of the environments had traces of toxicity and lack of human care. Some chef tactics I found offensive was guilting teammates if they didn’t do the job right, publicly humiliating people, throwing pans, yelling, sexual harassment and using a promotion to control people.

After witnessing this behavior, I knew being a small business owner would give me the power to change the kitchen environment and foster a more compassionate and flexible work space.

Some examples of our team dynamics:

We understand when people run late
Having two sided meetings, where we breakdown our service
Everyone learns each station
Teammates have the opportunity to contribute to changes in the process

Contact Info:

• Website: www.janparkercookery.com
• Instagram: janparkercookery
• Facebook: janparkercookery

Image Credits
Ashleigh Reddy Ann Young Photography