Chef Austin Yancey grew up in South Carolina where he first discovered a passion for cooking in his grandmother’s kitchen. Working in restaurants throughout high school, he fell in love with the industry and decided to move to Chicago and pursue a career in culinary arts. Chef Austin spent years training as a competitive cook while also working in various kitchens before landing his dream job at world renowned Alinea, a 3-Star Michelin restaurant in Chicago. After leaving Alinea, Chef Austin joined the Culinary Instructor team at Le Cordon Bleu and created the schools first competition cooking club. Now as the CEO and Founder of EPC, he is on a mission to teach hospitality professionals how to create long term success; independently. Reach out at chefaustin@elitepersonalchefs.com or call 864-430-0925. Looking forward to you hearing from you! -Chef Austin
All prices are an estimation and vary based on guest count, event location, and menu. You will get a better estimate during the booking process.
Originally I was born and grew up in Greenville, South Carolina. After high school, having worked in a few different local restaurants, I packed up a truck and drove to Chicago to pursue becoming a professional Chef.
I was originally interested in Chicago, New York or and Los Angeles. New York was a bit intimidating and LA seemed really far away so I went to visit Chicago first. It was late May and the weather was great. I went to a Cubs game, toured Le Cordon Bleu, and looked at apartments in Lincoln Park. There was no reason to look anywhere else, I was hooked.
Anywhere family-owned where their native language is not English. Outside of that, omakase sushi/sashimi is closest to my heart.
When I cook salmon for my wife, I eat the belly sashimi style with soy ponzu and horseradish. Poached shrimp with cocktail sauce. U-10 live scallops raw or pan seared with butter, lemon, capers, herbs. Grilled octopus, salmon roe, chicken wings, these are a few of my favorite things...
Both my specialty and focus is all about education. I enjoy teaching and helping people achieve the ah-ha moments in the kitchen. Food plays such a huge role in our daily lives so I enjoy demystifying the basics and giving people the confidence to play and experiment in their own kitchens.
I didn't know what I wanted to do exactly. I knew I loved to cook, eat, meet people, try new things, and learn as much as I could about the hospitality industry. Once I dug in, I learned quickly that this industry is quite vast and there are many avenues to travel in search of your personal goals.
Golf. I am a golf nut. I live on a course, teach golf to kids, volunteer and help raise money for a local golf non-profit, and play as much as I can. My whole family golfs (even my two year old!) and I love goofing off on the course together.
As the Founder and CEO, I get to watch the growth and success of our Chefs first hand. It is amazing to me that our Executive Team puts in the time and effort to make other people more successful than themselves. Self sacrificing for the greater good is one of our mantras and I am proud to see it taking off and working.
Everybody needs to eat, everyday. As a Private Chef you have an unlimited client base and are only limited by your own efforts. It is a completely free and self reliant lifestyle which I thrive in.
Golfing Industry hands down. I love every aspect of the game and would be happy if I had the opportunity to work in and around it on a professional level.
