Hospitality Bites-Chef Justin Sutherland

EDIT TO EPISODE: I incorrectly refer to Serena, Justin's longtime girlfriend, as his fiance; they are not engaged.

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A note from me, Colleen Silk, the host and founder of HBM.

Please be aware that while this conversation does not explicitly talk of Justin's arrest and the issue of domestic abuse, we do talk about the repercussions of his actions. I do not condone his actions or any allegations of domestic abuse in general. I do, however, support his journey to be a better person, learn from his mistakes, and live by example in both sobriety and discussing mental health, as well as rehabilitation.

If you or someone you know is in danger or a victim of domestic abuse, please text BEGIN to 88788, OR if you are in a mental health crisis, please text HOME to 741741. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ On today's episode of Hospitality Bites, Chef Justin Sutherland joins me. He shares his journey from culinary school to competing in cooking competitions and becoming a celebrity chef, as well as the recent struggles that have led him to sobriety and prompted him to address his mental health. Justin shares his experiences working in various kitchens and the challenges of managing multiple restaurants before and after the pandemic.

He also explores the competitive world of cooking shows like Iron Chef and Top Chef and navigates how those shows propelled into the entertainment sector of food media. Throughout the conversation, Justin reveals the hospitality industry's unspoken "underbelly" of toxic work environments and how that influenced his perspective on what a normal chef's life is or was.

We discuss his boating accident, not only focusing on his physical trauma but also the toll it took on his mental health and his unprecedented swift physical recovery. We then dive into the after-effects of his unexpected "fall from chef-celebrity grace" following his arrest and share how those external expectations have impacted him.

We end our conversation by discussing the importance of reclaiming his narrative, the journey toward sobriety, and Justin's aspirations for the future, which include his initiatives to support mental health in the hospitality industry and a rehabilitation program for nonviolent offenders upon their release from jail.