First time Taste of Soul vendor Anthony Walker plans to make customers mouths water with his home catering business, Anthony Walker Catering at the 10th annual family festival.
Walker has been catering for the past 15 years and is ready to show off his skills and introduce his catering company to the general public with the help of his 14 year old son, 16 year old daughter, stepson and girlfriend.
The business was founded by Walker’s grandfather, before he passed away he encouraged Walker to go to culinary school and receive his degree.
“I grew up watching him cook. One day before he passed away he told me that I should look into going to culinary arts school. So that’s what I did, I went to Trade Tech for a year and received a culinary arts degree and I started on my own doing small catering jobs,” Walker said.
But his true inspiration comes from eating at different restaurants and tasting various dishes. Once he gets home, he recreates the dishes with his own twist.
After receiving his degree in culinary arts, Walker learned the ins-and-outs of catering, as well as how to manage the money.
“One woman I worked for took me under her wing and taught me a little more about the catering background, like the back of the house, the front of the house and how to handle the money and I took off from there,” said Walker.
This year, Walker will be serving Taste of Soul goers his homemade chicken strips fried and seasoned to perfection alongside his homemade spicy ranch dressing.
“This is my first year being an actual vendor. I’m just excited because it’s Taste of Soul, you get to meet different people, see different cultures and different walks of life. I’m just looking forward to putting my catering company out there,” said Walker.
In the past, Walker has catered events for the Rose Bowl celebration, Christmas, birthday and graduation parties, and barbeques.
Customers interested in having Walker cater an event can contact him at http://anthonywalkercatering.com/contact-us/ or call (323) 241- 2154 or follow him on Instagram at Anthony Walker Catering.
kimberlee@lasentinel.net