Exploring Life & Business with Chef Vanessa Castillo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa Castillo.

Hi Chef Castillo, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Since I remember, I’ve always felt a fascination for cooking, it was just natural, I always thought it would be my second career. Something that I never doubted was that I wanted to be a business owner. I decided to study business administration and I started working as a bookkeeper for a local wholesale bakery.

While I was working I used to stop by the main kitchen and I really used to enjoy watching all the bread production. I found fascinating the whole process and I started to feel very motivated to learn more about the art of cooking in general.

I studied Culinary Arts in San Diego, CA (international cuisines) and I started working in the industry, from restaurants, five-star hotels, resorts, private events and more but always with one thing in mind, “how to get more experience and learn as much as I can” I needed the experience not only to execute my work but to recognize what kind of concept I wanted to create to come up with a business.

I spend several years just working and traveling. Traveling is always a good idea but when you are a cook/chef it helps you a lot to educate yourself and to become more creative, In search of something unique I luckily found a Hungarian concept “chimney cakes” or “KurtosKalacs” that was perfect for me and my sister who is a pastry chef.

We put our work experience together, we decided to bring this innovated concept to San Diego and we finally launched “Mia Sorella Chimney Cakes” in 08/17/2017.

For another hand, I became a yacht private chef where I can create custom menus and make special dinners for our clients. It is always fun and I couldn’t be happier, I always push myself to the limit and I’m currently working in new projects where I can keep sharing my vision and my favorite cuisines.

I’m very grateful and fortunate to have been able to work with so talented and dedicated people. Thank you to my mentors, friends and family who have always believed in me and have made all of this an amazing journey!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I was determined to accomplish my goal I visualized the big picture so it has been a continuous effort and a choice. There are always struggles along the way but the important is to have a clear purpose and learn from the challenges to shape you for your purpose. .

Working in the kitchen is not an easy job you really need to have the courage and love for this career to overcome the physical and mental effort that requires. I used to work long hours, at some point I had two jobs with a very demanding atmosphere.

I can say time management has been the most difficult part. There should be a balance for everything and at some point, I feel I lost my balance because I used to demand too much of myself.

In some situations being a woman in a male dominated workplace can be very challenging. I’ve always been very serious about my goals so it helped me to grow in my career but it wasn’t easy. I truly love, respect and admire this career and i feel very excited to see how more women are taking over the food world.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I’m a chef & co-owner of “Mia sorella chimney cakes” and a private chef at Osprey Yacht Charters.

If you would like to host a party and want to impress your guest we can offer our services from “Mia sorella” we are a unique concept, everything that we offer is made from scratch with the best quality ingredients,. A chimney cake is a freshly baked pastry that can be sweet or savory. You can enjoy them by itself or stuffed.

At Mia sorella chimney cakes, you can find cheese and charcuterie boards, small bites, afternoon tea party services and more.

If you are planning a private event, I recommend to have in mind our dinner experiences at osprey yacht charters it is absolutely beautiful and we work with our clients to create custom menus around their needs, dietary restrictions and food preferences. I personally buy all the ingredients from local farms ( farmers markets) and prepare all the dishes with a fun style and personalized details.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
If you are interested in any of our services or have any questions please feel free to contact me, I would be happy to help you!

“Mia sorella chimney cakes”
www.miasorellaco.com
IG: @miasorellaco
Email: miasorellaco@gmail.com

“Osprey Yacht Charters” Private chef dining cruise
www.osprey62.com/dining
Email: Vrcastillo21@gmail.com

Contact Info:

• Email: Vrcastillo21@gmail.com