We recently had the chance to connect with Greg Reith and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Greg, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What are you chasing, and what would happen if you stopped?
I am chasing a James Beard Award, and I won’t stop. In the words of Annie Dillard, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives”.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My clients have described me as a world class chef. I am humbled and flattered by their opinions. When I say they, I refer to some of the most well traveled and experienced palates that I have prepared for and served in my entire career. I consider it one of my greatest achievements to be thought of and compared to some of the greatest dining destinations on earth. I believe in nourishing the soul beyond feeding the body and my approach to cooking is not limited to, but assuredly includes, nose to tail, root to stem, farm to table, and shepherd to chef.
Our company Get Chef G is a modernist wellness cuisine private chef service focusing on wellness, lifestyle planning, athletic conditioning, nutritional meal planning, live cooking demonstrations and edutainment. We are 95% word of mouth and again I am flattered by this reality. I believe that Utah has some of the finest ingredients and foods without it being its main focus. And when it is a primary focus of the purveyors, producers, etc. it is second to none. I want to continue to further and advance the reputation of our very capable producers with advanced and original culinary art.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
The French, specifically August Escoffier. I did not attend an Escoffier school, but I was raised/fostered into culinary art through Escoffier’s Brigade through a ranking system that included needed approval from peers before masters. That’s what the French taught me about cooking, if you can impress the people working right next to you, then you will advance. My career started at Wolfgang Pucks and quickly advanced into multiple fine dining opportunities.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I did. I left the culinary world in 2000, following years of 90-100 hour weeks and became the assistant golf professional at the University of Utah having played less than 10 rounds of golf in my lifetime. I did this to reset, to rejuvenate, and within a years time of starting golf, I was back to being a private chef for one of the wealthiest CEO’s in Utah at the time. I will never leave again 💔
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
Irrefutably, my wife. I once was told that character is how you act when nobody is looking. If this is true, then I have witnessed through my marriage the highest character, the most respectable and admirable human being that I have met in 51 years on earth.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
I have a deep empathy for the connection between food and the soul. Nostalgia is as important to me as the ingredients themselves. To create profound culinary experiences rivals that of travel, musical impression, and artistic solicitation.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://getchefg.com
- Instagram: @getchefg
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-reith-63a18250
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085936856145
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/get-chef-g-syracuse
Image Credits
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