We recently connected with Matthew Baker and have shared our conversation below.
Matthew, appreciate you joining us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.
I moved from San Diego to San Jose to assist with improving operations for a large hotel and conference center. I worked my way up the ladder to executive sous chef. At the time, I realized being deaf would hinder me from being promoted more. Working in a busy kitchen my communications was limited without an interpreter. After being passed up for many opportunities, I moved back to San Diego. Feast on This became a goal of mine. I love food, catering, events and wanted to create opportunities for others who felt like the “underdog”.
Matthew, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My love for the culinary arts started when I was 5. Being deaf from birth didn’t stop me from being in the kitchen, in fact, my other senses are heightened which helps me to create elevated experiences. From the touch of the flowers, to the smell and taste of the food, to the visual aesthetics of the decor, every aspect is carefully and thoughtfully planned out. We love helping clients bring their vision to life!
In our world, no two days are ever the same. One day we might be setting up a casual beach event and the next night a formal dinner in Balboa Park.
Have you ever had to pivot?
The last two years of Covid has caused many of us to pivot. We were forced to shut down our operations literally overnight. We were on track to exceed our goals. And within a week, all of our near future events were cancelled. Once it was safe to do so, and following all guidelines, we began creating smaller, intimate events. This allowed us to be part of celebrating all our client’s milestones. We also create a heat and serve program called Feast-Ventures. We would pick a different region each month and deliver cuisine from that region.
See more on our blog:
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Feast on This is very fortunate to have amazing clients who have become our friends. Many have been with us since the beginning- we’ve celebrated all of life’s milestones with them. We began as a corporate caterer and quickly began to be asked to cater private home events and children’s weddings. Our clients have trusted us from the beginning and are very fortunate to have grown from strictly word of mouth. We pride ourselves on creating unique events and collaborating with our clients. They become part of our Feast Family.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.feastonthis.com
- Instagram: @feastonthiscatering
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FeastOnThisCateringandEvents
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/feastonthiscatering/mycompany/?viewAsMember=true
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/feast-on-this-san-diego