Check Out Kate Welle’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Welle.

Hi Kate, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I didn’t know I wanted to be a chef until I was 27. I’d graduated college in 2009 with a B.A. in Psychology, aka “indecision”. I half-heartedly tried to find a job in social work, with the vague idea of someday getting my LCSW. This was nearly impossible, as it was right in the heart of the recession. Feeling like I was spinning my wheels looking for a job I didn’t know if I really wanted to do, I stopped. I did other things. I completed two years of service in AmeriCorps, a national community service organization, where I got to work with underserved communities in Vermont and California. Between these two years, I spent three months in Europe with my best friend, meandering through a few cities, but spending the bulk of our time working on an olive farm in a rural community in Greece. I didn’t know at the time that this trip was guiding me in a direction, but my experience in Greece was a significant stop along the way. The rhythm and pacing of life on a farm was eye-opening and triggered within me a desire to be present and grateful, even though at times that was difficult. Food was an omnipresent aspect. Almost everything we ate was butchered, scratch-made, cured, dried, or fired in a DIY pizza oven. “DIY” was the theme of our hosts. Our circadian rhythms were harmonized and everyone had a role to play in keeping it so. Our ex-pat hosts were surviving off of the money they made from renting their cabin in the high season and selling their cold-pressed olive oil. All of our activities revolved around harvesting olives, grounds maintenance, and cooking- an aspect which was largely done with future needs in mind. I never thought about food in this way, nor ate this intentionally as part of a community.

Our hosts were phenomenal cooks, and without pretension. One of my favorite meals was eaten on the last day of the olive harvest, a particularly grueling one. All of us- ex-pats, Greeks, American and Finnish travelers, eating a simple meal of lamb and potatoes, and passing around a jug full of local moonshine, while plopped, dirty and olive-stained on top of olive nets. The coziness was overwhelming and new…Still didn’t want to be a chef. Then I moved to Hawaii to finally use my degree and worked at a horticultural therapy program for adolescents. We taught these kids how to grow food -a metaphor for self-love and personal growth in the various camps or gardens. Every meal was cooked in an outdoor kitchen, largely from produce grown on-site. The job was particularly challenging for me and I found myself leaning into the Hawaiian abundance as a way to cope, When it was time to leave, my husband and I started over in Durango. I needed a break from the mental health environment and found an opening for a baker at a historic hotel. After getting my feet wet for six months, I moved to Boulder to go to culinary school, and then over the last seven years, worked in various aspects of the food industry. I started Clear Creek Vittles in August 2021, and here we are.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There’s been a lot of challenges along the way. When I got that job in Durango as a baker, I was the definition of an imposter. I had no professional experience baking, much less, personal experience doing so. I was young enough to impulsively bullshit my way in, and in hindsight, I think the head chef was fully aware of this but decided to take a chance on me anyway. (I can be pretty charming). Nearly every day at that hotel featured a failure on my part. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I cared so much about meeting the challenge head-on (and to not get found out) that I spent my evenings researching baking science and recipes and rehearsing how I wouldn’t f*ck it up the next day. There, I also got to experience the somewhat toxic kitchen atmosphere. Coming from the therapy world, where direct communication and regular feedback are top priorities, the BOH dynamic was a bit of a shock, especially with my level of incompetence. I had to learn to, as the Buddhists say, “chop wood, carry water” and stop personalizing the random drama as much as possible. This was an invaluable experience for me. Reflecting on the range of restaurant experiences I’ve had over the years, I think one of the biggest challenges for me has been to learn how to take responsibility when no one else will. I certainly did not come into this with that mindset, and it was a hard thing to cultivate, but at the end of the day, no one cares who’s fault it is, so “chop wood, carry water”.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I run a business called, Clear Creek Vittles, which offers weekly meal-prep, event catering, and cooking classes. I offer a menu that changes seasonally and is 95% scratch-made. Because I’ve developed more as a baker over the years, I make bread a staple of my menus and offer a variety of pastries and snacks to go alongside. I prioritize offering food that is creative, inspired and balanced. The weekly-meal prep menu remains the same for a season, but every event I do features an individualized approach. I offer dishes to meet every dietary restriction, in a way that is reverent rather than dismissive, i.e. “just give them the Beyond Burger and there you go”. I’m proud of feeling like I’m at a place in life where I trust my decision-making in the kitchen (this has taken years and continues to develop) and that I take personal integrity so seriously. I’m proud of putting quality ingredients, transparency, and hard work at the forefront of my business. The proof is in the pudding.

Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Please come visit me at www.clearcreekvittles.com if you’re interested in weekly meal-prep, catering, or classes. You can also shoot me an e-mail: wellekate@gmail.com if you have any questions. I’m also in Instagram @clearcreekvittles, but I hardly ever post so don’t be disappointed.

Pricing:

• Weekly Meal Prep: $325/5 Entrees in whatever portions you need
• Classes: $250 1 on 1 (Materials Included) or $100/person for a group, (materials not included)

Contact Info:

• Website: www.clearcreekvittles.com

Image Credits
Bo Collins Nonna Eats