Sue Shattuck

Personal chef and entrepreneur, creates extraordinary dining experiences

By Magi Thomley Williams

Entrepreneur and Milton native Sue Shattuck has successfully made her own way in the male-dominated culinary world with a journey that began years ago in a small, private cooking school outside of Florence, Italy. She travelled through Europe, absorbing knowledge and techniques from master chefs in their restaurant kitchens and in the home kitchens of the best cooks in the villages.

“My hobbies usually involve something in the kitchen, although I am an avid reader and I love to travel,” Shattuck said. “Much of my ‘foodie’ experience has been born through travel and discovery of other food cultures.”

In addition to learning through travel experiences, she studied at the August Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, is a member of the American Association of Private Chefs and holds chef certification from Cibreo Firenze Culinary Arts. Her experience includes 20 years as a culinary instructor, and today Shattuck offers personal chef services to Northwest Florida residents and is the owner of On Board Charcuterie Services.

Contact Shattuck at 850-572-6706 or ChefSueShattuck@gmail. com to place a personalized charcuterie order or schedule a special dining experience.

Shattuck attributes some of her success to the famous Chef Julia Child.

“She put female culinary professionals on the world map,” Shattuck said. “But women still struggle with recognition. Even here in Pensacola, the Pensacola Celebrity Chefs are comprised of five men –extremely talented men, and respected chefs, all friends of mine. However, Pensacola has a less known group of women chefs who are very successful also. We’ve garnered less accolades. It’s true that women have been feeding the world since the dawn of time, literally breast feeding every child born. Yet, men have been a dominating force in the culinary scene, because women were at home, feeding the children.”

The divorced mother of three children, Leslie, Chad and Julie, has faced greater challenges having lost Leslie in 2021 to a brain bleed due to head trauma after an accident.

“Losing a child is, without question, the most painful, life-shattering thing I’ve ever been through, and I strive each day to make her proud of me.”

A Treasured Experience

Undaunted by the challenges faced in her life and in her industry, Shattuck has used her superior skills to serve or assist some of the world’s best chefs, including Jacques Pepin, John Besh and Mario Batali. She has also created dining experiences for an impressive clientele.

“About 10 years ago, I was contacted by a gentleman who asked if I could do a Spanish-themed dinner for a group of 11 couples. This group has been friends for many, years and they gather once a year in a sort of reunion. The night of the dinner 11 men, dressed in dark suits, along with their gorgeous wives, dressed to impress, arrived to a beautifully decorated table. They ate, drank and were merry as they chuckled their way through a reminiscent past. After dinner, one of the men summoned me over to tell me that my paella was better than any they had eaten in Spain. I was thrilled; preparing paella for 22 is a difficult task and it can go wrong quickly.”

Shattuck said that he asked her if she knew who the group was, but she had never inquired.

“He told me that these distinguished men are the original designers, engineers and astronauts of the first Apollo Space Program. I had chill bumps. Without knowing it, I had been in the presence of greatness, some of America’s greatest minds. They were charming and I’ve never forgotten how fortunate I am to have served them. They later sent me a group photo as a remembrance – I treasure it.”

Loving Life Now

Though she has traveled and cooked with and for a variety of people, Shattuck loves where she is now and enjoys the creativity she can bring to her current venture.

“What’s not to love about charcuterie? It’s such fun! Every board, box, cone or grazing table is an artist’s pallet, the creativity is endless,” she said. “Seasonal items make it easy to switch things up a bit and our access to great Gulf Coast seafood has enabled us to offer SeaCuterie boards, too. Our SeaCuterie is a great option for anyone who prefers seafood over meats.”

Shattuck enjoys bringing her creativity to wedding parties and other large events with innovative grazing tables, charcuterie boards of every size and preference, gift boxes or charcuterie cones. Options can be traditional charcuterie, delicious appetizers, hors d’ouerves or other custom items to make the experience festive and memorable.

All choices can be delivered or ready for pickup.

“My busy hours don’t always allow me to be physically involved in community events, but we donate to a lot of boards and charitable organizations,” Shattuck said. “Our community has been good to us and we give back as much and as often as we can.”

Magi Thomley Williams is a corporate consultant, writer, speaker and trainer at Thomley Consulting. She can be reached at Magi@ThomleyConsulting.com.