Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Gaspar.
Hi Daniel, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I moved to the states with my family at the age of 9. As a Mexican immigrant, I’ve always felt the need to push harder than everyone else in order to escape the stereotypes from both my family and the service industry. I didn’t expect to completely fall in love with restaurants, I was always discouraged from pursuing a career in hospitality because of the history that surrounds it; the long hours, the abusive environment, the physical demand, the low pay, and the most relatable one, addiction. I started my culinary career at the age of 18, starting by washing dishes but determined to one day run a kitchen. My experience was mainly focused around catering and eventually moved to full-service restaurants. This was also when I was first introduced to late-night partying and what we called the “Chef’s Life”. It became a slippery slope for me and it truly affected everything about my life. I hit rock bottom after my second motorcycle accident. It left me with severe injuries from which I am suffering the consequences up until this day. I broke the trust of my mentors and my family members. I tried to break the cycle but failed many times. On May 15th, 2018, my girlfriend (now wife) encouraged me to find sobriety once again and I haven’t looked back since.
It’s amazing what a sober and clear mind can do for you! I was determined to succeed once again and worked my way up through the kitchen like I had done before, all the way up to working for chefs recognized nationwide and running a couple of their restaurants!
And then, the pandemic hit. It was scary for everyone. For me, my wife and I had a baby during this time and it completely changed my world. I knew I wanted to do something meaningful for my family and I, something that allowed me to spend more time with them. This is where Daffodil was born. The daffodil represents new beginnings and I wanted this next step in my career to embody that. With this new beginning, I want to bring new creativity, new flavors, and new experiences to my guests through the magic of food.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Everything has its challenges and Daffodil has been no different. There has been plenty of support from people that care about me and believe in what I do, which has helped make it a smoother road.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Daffodil Culinary is a personal chef/catering service.
We focus not only on providing food that’s locally sourced, seasonal, and creative but on promoting the people that make it happen which are our farmers and growers here in the state of Texas. We also want our clients to taste and see our extensive and versatile culinary experience and to love and appreciate food as much as we do. We want people to reimagine what catering and personal chef services can offer and lean towards an elevated experience that can come to you.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Finding a mentor specific to being a personal chef has been difficult. However, I have been able to utilize my connections from previous restaurants as a great resource. I ask as many questions as they allow me to and try to learn everything I can from the people around me. Additionally, I have found inspiration and small pieces of advice from social media resources.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.daffodilculinary.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/daffodil_culinary
- Facebook: Facebook.com/daffodilculinary
Image Credits
IG: @erinfrazierjones (for headshot) IG: @daffodilculinary (for food pictures)
