The Case for Change: Celebrity Chef Andrea Drummer

I’ve never wanted to be the first anything. It takes courage to do something no one has ever done before, to dream a new dream. Chef Andrea Drummer has that courage. Today we discuss the changing tides within our industry and our culture...covering everything from cannabis to diversity. Click to sign up for our weekly newsletter. Click here to book time on my personal calendar. Click here to download our Restaurant Recovery Guide. Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business. SHOW NOTES Noticing race inequality Grew up poor in a middle-class neighborhood Noticed white flight Noticed the difference in education when attending a partially private, predominantly white high school and majority black high schools Called an n-word at age 19 by a man in a pickup truck Starting in culinary Always been creative in the kitchen 1st career in non-profit Advocated against cannabis use 2nd career as a cannabis chef Getting into cannabis cooking Moved to California from New York Went to culinary school Stress of culinary school caused illness Severe chronic pain Prescribed opiates but took cannabis instead to relieve pain The body metabolizes cannabis in a different way with food Cooking with cannabis made sense Making cannabis use accessible Increasingly being used by the older generation Less likely to be smokers The effects of a cannabis meal Choose your own strength Particpants inform Andrea of what they want to experience Tolerance Strength of high Andrea can infuse on site to strengthen the high Cannabis quality Purchased wholesale One grower Organic, outdoor grown High in THC Business during Covid More enquiries for private dining experiences Focussing on delivering at-home solutions to patrons Minorities and women in the industry Andrew Zimmern mentioned we have the opportunity to change how minorities and women have been treated so far in the industry Andrea creates equality in culture Focusses on uplifting black women Importance of good work environment Kitchens used to be hostile Chefs would throw things Andrea redefines her working kitchen Better working hours Friendly environment If you are not good to yourself,  you are not good for the kitchen Black Lives Matter Being apolitical is damaging to the movement Silence is impactful Encouraging non-black folks to listen and be open to hearing the truth The world is changing We all have a desire to be better We are still creating and learning during this time Success has no playbook Andrea is relatively new to culinary business Creating her own rules with intention Being true to oneself Reflecting during Covid Opportunity to be authentic and original when everything is quieter