Chef Shacafrica Simmons Interview

5/13/2018

Chef Shacafrica Simmons aka Chef Shac, is the mother of three beautiful children who are currently attending college in Tallahassee, Florida. She is on assignment in the earth as the owner and creative innovator of Chef Shac LLC which is the parent company for Empowered by Food, The North Florida Culinary Incubator, Chef Shac Catering, Life Chef, and The Sensory Experience. While she holds two degrees in, Culinary Arts and in Pastry and Confectionery, from The Culinard, The Culinary Institute of Virginia College in Birmingham, Alabama, she has been cooking since she was five years old. In fact, the first thing she ever learned to make was a fried egg, her grandfather taught her so she could cook for him while her grandmother was at work. That moment began her love affair with the art of cooking and she’s been cooking now for 38 years and professionally for 18 years. Her professional life as a Chef has afforded her opportunities such as being the former executive chef of Florida A&M University as well as cooking for dignitaries and the like.

Most recently Chef Shac had the opportunity to compete on the Food Network hit show “Chopped” in 2017, season 34 episode 13. She wowed the judges and her competition and came out victorious as the Food Network Chopped Champion. That win allowed the world to see what Tallahassee’s best kept secret was all about. Since then she has been featured in the Tallahassee Woman Magazine, Tallahassee Democrat, Influence Magazine 2017, and the Delray Beach News. She has also been awarded the Keys to the City of Tallahassee and received a Leon County Commission Proclamation. Now she is traveling, writing, and appearing, using every opportunity she can to share her passion for food, nutrition and information with all that will listen. She is now able to share that love in homes across the country through her Get Shac’d Beverage and Product Line as well as her Chef Shac Jr Coloring and Cookbook for kids. Make no mistake, her greatest joy still comes when she gets to watch her family, friends and neighbors enjoy and experience food she has prepared with love. That love, which was instilled in her by the matriarchs of her family is the love that continues to shape and drive her passion to see her community truly empowered through food.

Chef Shac truly believes that health and wealth are intricately woven in the food choices we make. Therefore, she is an advocate concerning food, its history, its benefits, food desserts and the plight of the local farmer. Her desire is to teach people to take ownership of their relationship with food to positively impact their health, wealth, and overall wellbeing. Through access, information, demonstration, and education, Chef Shac is empowering communities one delicious morsel at a time! Her motto in food and life is to always “Keep it flavorful!”

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Chef Shac