The Advice Aarón Sánchez Has For Young Latin Chefs
Chef Aarón Sánchez regularly references how indebted he feels. "I know it's important to give back," he told T-Mobile during their Hispanic Heritage Month's edition of Talking With Trailblazers. "So, in order for me to do that, I have to thank my mentors and I have to make sure that I'm planting seeds for the next generation." The hope is that they grow into chefs and restauranteurs. As Sánchez explained on Instagram, "One of my missions in life is to inspire more young Latin chefs to be leaders in the kitchen and to own their own successful businesses."
Recently, this took the form of giving advice about how to run a restaurant. "Try to make sure that you understand all the different aspects of the kitchen," he said. This is regardless of whether you're a manager, owner, or chef. That applies to more than just the preparation of food. What it means is that you have the knowledge and patience needed to be a good co-worker and leader. According to Sánchez, you should not only know about food costs and demand for products but also how "to touch base" with the workers so that you can find out what they need to achieve the growth they are hoping for.
Planting the seeds for kitchen leaders
These recent tips followed other advice the celebrity chef gave in a September Instagram post. In that instance, Aarón Sánchez emphasized the need to both understand the commitment required in being a chef and have the passion for such an undertaking. It's a demanding, time-consuming lifestyle that doesn't meld well with what many might consider a "stable home situation." Sánchez also stressed the need for aspiring chefs to find their "culinary voice."
Sánchez has been so devoted to helping young chefs find their way in the industry that he even started the Aarón Sánchez Scholarship Fund (ASSF) back in 2016. As stated on the ASSF website, the organization is "dedicated to empowering Latin youth through culinary education, mentorship, and industry experience in an effort to diversify kitchen leadership for future generations." That translates into paying tuition and supply costs for attending culinary school in New York and covering the cost of nearly a year of room and board, among other benefits. Six recipients have graduated up to this point. Perhaps they are finding their culinary voices or leading the way in a restaurant kitchen.