18
BUSINESS
GilbertSunNews.com
|
GILBERT SUN NEWS | AUGUST 29, 2021
@Gilber tSunNews
/Gilber tSunNews
Private chef’s business is booming BY ASHLYN ROBINETTE GSN Contributor
B
usiness is booming for Chef William Turner, a private chef whose work is the subject of a documen-
tary. The documentary, “Cooking on Camelback,” is to air on Channel 7 then be available on Amazon. “If you love food and if you love the underdog, then you should be excited,” said Turner of the documentary, which looks at what it takes to be a private chef. Turner started his culinary journey in South Carolina two decades ago, then traveled from coast to coast as an executive chef with extensive experience in casual dining, fine dining and banquets until settling in Gilbert. “I wouldn’t be here without the support that I’ve gotten in the Valley,” he said. “People have opened doors for me… I’ve been welcomed and it’s an honor.” Turner, 42, moved to Arizona in 2017. Without any business contacts in the Valley, he wasn’t sure what was next in store. He decided to start his own private chef business in December 2017, focusing primarily on affluent homes in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. “I got on a borrowed computer, quickly launched my website and Yelp and ordered business cards,” Turner said. “At 8 a.m. the next morning, my phone rang and it was my first client.” At the time, Turner didn’t even own a car, so he had to take Lyft rides to his clients’ homes. “I took a bus down Scottsdale Road, got off at Fashion Square Mall with a pocketful of business cards and started walking around, passing out my business cards,” he recalled. “The first place I went into was Optima and three days later they called me up and hired me.”
- except for Chef Turner! I joke with the girls, you said ‘I do’ just so that I’d cook for you, didn’t you?” Turner chuckled. The chef attributes his popularity with the ladies to his southern charm and hospitality as well as the fact that women plan their bachelorette parties well in advance. They are already trying to book him for 2023. “Whenever I do my job, I do it well,” he said. “I give these girls an experience Chef William Turner has found his services in great demand at private home gatherings, particularly when they won’t forget in a fun, it comes to bachelorette parties. (Courtesy of Chef Turner) safe environment. They know that they’re going to than 1,000 private par- get great food and that whatever needs ties since he launched they have will be taken care of by my his business, which con- team and I.” tinues to grow every In addition to bringing on new chefs week. to help him handle the large volume He has been featured of business, Turner also works with in multiple publications an experienced group of servers, barand appeared over 40 tenders and event coordinators. times on popular TV When he enters homes, he prepares shows between Tucson five-star meals on demand that meet and Phoenix. He also any request or dietary need. His cuisine maintains a strong social is wide-ranging, often entwined with a media presence as well as southern flare. Clients are welcome to a five-star rating across interact and watch Turner cook, or they all platforms. can relax until dinner is served. Turner’s specialty is “Cooking gives you an instant family in-home private events and group of friends,” he said. “It keeps for any occasion or des- me busy and gives me a purpose.” tination, but he is best Turner is the preferred chef for many known for working Scott- politicians, athletes, musicians and Chef William Turner of Gilbert moved to Arizona in 2017 sdale-area bachelorette other celebrities staying in the Valley. and has parlayed his skill in the kitchen into a thriving busi- parties. “You name it and I’ve cooked for them,” ness. (Special to GSN) Women around the he said. “I never know who’s going to world fly to Arizona to contact me. I meet so many people and I specifically hire Turner as their chef for could tell you a story about every single Flash forward almost four years later. Turner recently started doing his private events. one of them.” The rule of the bachelorette party cooking out of a professional kitchen in Chandler and has cooked for more weekend is simple: “No Men Allowed” see CHEF page 19
