Exploring Life & Business with Rachel Mitchell of High Country Catering

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Mitchell. 

Hi Rachel, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I grew up in a small town called Brighton, which is northeast of Denver. My family grew up poor, we didn’t have much in the way of material things. But I always found happiness with my 3 siblings and many cousins. My mother worked hard. She was the backbone of our family, and I’ve always admired her for that. For a long stretch of my life, we lived with my grandparents. My grandpa was the most successful entrepreneur I’ve ever known. He was a lover of the outdoors and started Mitchell Campers, which was the first camper business in Colorado. He was a one-of-a-kind guy. Though he had nine children and 30+ grandkids, he always found time to spend with me. He taught me a lot about life, family, & business in 17 years he was a part of my life. 

My grandmother is the one that piqued my interest in food. There was something about her steady hands working, her never needing a recipe, and the way my grandpa would light up when she brought a plate of food over to him. She encouraged my loved for baking. You could always find us sharing baked goods & playing a game of cards. Having a big family meant that Holidays were always a party, and at parties, there was always food. I loved how food brought us together, it’s something that I still love today. 

Anyways, outside if the home I found I had a knack for softball. And that was my entire life for many years. I was able to play travel ball thanks to having a job, and for my best friend’s family taking me to every practice & every game. 

Through a softball scholarship, I was able to go to college in Iowa. 2 weeks into moving out there, I found a waitressing job at a local restaurant. I quickly found that money motivated me and I ended up moving back to Colorado to bartend full-time. While I loved softball, I wasn’t loving school. And in the moment, I felt I was wasting my time. And wanted to just “start” my life. 

Bartending proved to be good money, and in a year, I had saved enough money and built up my credit to purchase my first house. I was only 19 at this point. 

While Bartending is fast cash and good money, I also knew that this wasn’t a career for me. 

One night a couple years later, a man I had never seen sat at my bartop. We got to chatting and I invited him to play in a softball game. Fast forward, we began dating, and he encouraged me to begin finding a career path. 

I ended up selling my house, moving in with him and went to Culinary School in Boulder. 

I was a top student and quickly fell in love with the industry. 

After school, I worked in restaurants and learned that chefs don’t make much. So, with once again the encouragement from my boyfriend I started my own Catering business. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No road is smooth when you’re a business owner 😅 The first 2 years were the absolute hardest financially. I didn’t have two pennies to rub together. Everything I made went to right back into buying supplies, equipment, and kitchen rent. 

If a business can make it to year 3, I feels that when things really start to click. 

In my 3rd year, my company was establishing a name for itself and was becoming more known. I hired my first employee. I was a preferred vendor. And most of all my clients were happy with our work! 

Now my struggles are keeping up with the rising cost of materials & rising cost of having employees. Also, the shortage of workers has been a real struggle 

As you know, we’re big fans of High Country Catering. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
A Full-Service Catering Company offering upscale comfort food & unbeatable service. 

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Support from Family and Friends. I have doubted myself along the way, just for my team to pick me back up and tell me I’m doing great. Believing you can do something is half the battle 

Contact Info:

• Email: Highcountrycateringco@gmail.com
• Website: Www.highcountrycatering.com
• Instagram: @highcountrycatering
• Facebook: @highcountrycatering