Meet Chantal Popick of Denver, CO

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chantal Popick

Hi Chantal, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I first fell in love with cooking in my Great Grandmother’s kitchen. As the matriarch of our family, her home was the hub where we gathered for Sunday dinner and holidays. More than nurturing my inner foodie, she also instilled in me the value of sharing a meal with loved ones. It was a time to un-wind and connect. Harietta was an incredible human and she made us feel special and cherished by preparing each person’s favorite dish. Her pancakes were my favorite. Fluffy, lightly crisped edges, doused in butter and syrup or home-made jam. They were perfect. Pancakes will always be one of my favorite comfort foods.

Growing up my mother also played a significant role in shaping my palate. As a single mother, who always worked a side gig on top of her full-time career as a paralegal, eating out became a bonding self-care ritual. We moved from North Denver to Aspen, CO when I was in 7th grade and that exposed me to a whole new world. The food scene in Aspen was something I had never experienced before, and my curiosity grew. I credit the first time I tasted things like fresh pesto and crème brûlée as the catalysts that would eventually lead me to becoming a chef. I remember asking, “how do they make this”? When it came time to apply for college, my high school guidance counselor suggested culinary school. I opted to study physical therapy for my first two years of college but would end up enrolling in culinary school a few years later. At that time, I was going through a difficult time as a young adult and cooking gave me a sense of purpose. I excelled in my studies at The Art Institute of CO and graduated at the top of my class.

I worked as a line cook while attending school. Many of the friendships I made during that time have continued throughout the years and are very dear to my heart. (More on that later) When I first started out, I thought that my path would be in fine dining. After working at a hand full of prestigious restaurants, I realized it might not be the right fit for me but wasn’t sure what step to take next. That’s when a paid opportunity to learn pastry came my way and I jumped at it. I am so grateful to the mentor I had who introduced me to, and trained me in, the art of desserts. I followed that path for several years and it was a quite fulfilling.

Eventually I decided that I wanted to explore being a business owner. So, I embarked on my first business venture selling pickles and jams at local farmers markets. Although it was a short-lived endeavor, I learned a lot. Who knows, maybe Gypsy Jars will make a comeback in the future.

I was lucky to find a position as a head pastry chef with an executive chef who believed in me. Eventually the restaurant structure changed, as it always does, and I found myself at a turning point. Would I continue working in restaurant settings and become burned out again in a or a year or two? Or would I change careers completely? After some time reflecting, I transitioned into personal cheffing in 2018, and things fell into place. I had found my niche, weekly meal prep for busy families and custom in-home dinner parties for foodies looking for a unique experience. As demand for in-home services grew, I started devising a business plan to expand into weekly prepared meal delivery. In July of 2024 I launched Flavor Maven meal delivery. I still provide in-home services as well and look forward to pursuing both branches of the business as I move forward.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
A smooth road? Ha, no, not in the least. Cooking is not the way to go if you want a high paying, low stress type of job. The hours are long, it’s physically and mentally demanding, tempers often flare in the heat of the moment and it’s very easy to fall into the routine of going out with your co-workers to blow off steam after work. When I was in my early twenties this felt exhilarating and totally acceptable. The bonds you forge with your fellow cooks feel very intimate. Eventually though, my body and psyche became exhausted, and something had to change. For me, that happened in 2013. That’s when I realized I needed to get sober. I deeply regret the bridges I burned at great jobs because of my relationship to alcohol and drugs. What I try to do now is take the lessons from the errors I’ve made and integrate them into how I move forward, a living amends if you will. Being a chef and business owner are incredibly challenging, but also deeply rewarding. I feel like chefs are a strange breed and there are times I wonder about how a more traditional path might have worked out for me. But then I remember that the world needs weirdos, it needs creative people, and it needs to eat!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I describe my style of cooking as globally inspired comfort food. I draw inspiration from cultures around the world to create dishes that feel familiar and help expose people to flavors they might not have tried on their own. I love to cook dishes with subtle complexity, and desserts of course. I am proud of the fact that I have been supporting myself as a solopreneur for the last few years. I plan to continue growing the business and am excited to see what the future holds.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I believe in taking calculated risks. Risk taking involves the possibility of failure. So, no matter how much you plan and scheme, at a certain point you just have to go for it. Launching Flavor Maven Meal Delivery was a risk for me because with in-home services, there is virtually no overhead. With this new part of the business, I have substantially higher overhead costs. The goal is to increase volume while still maintaining quality. That is how I hope to mitigate the risk.

Pricing:

• In home personal chef services- $60/hr. (custom meal prep)
• Meal delivery average entree price- $16-$25 (very generous portion)
• In home dinner party services- $135/hr. (includes server)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.flavor-maven.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flavor.maven/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theflavormaven
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@flavormaven