Chara Gafford, Urban Chef - Recipe for Success

Chara Gafford, Urban Chef

Urban Chef was founded in 2005 as Houston's first fully hands-on non-vocational culinary school. With stove and counter space enough for everyone to cook together we are able to offer classes in which everyone participates rather than simply watching a chef's demonstration.

Urban Chef is owned and operated by chef Chara Gafford. After receiving her bachelor's degree in philosophy from the Universtiy of Chicago she decided to pursue her passion for food and received her AAS in Culinary Arts from The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. She trained at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Chicago as well as with A la Baker catering company. Before launching Urban Chef, Chara owned Artisan Cakes, a specialty wedding cake company.

In addition to teaching cooking classes Chara is currently serving as the co-president of the Houston chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier, an international association for professional women in the culinary industry. She is a volunteer with Recipe for Success which works within public schools in Houston to transform the way children understand food and nutrition. Urban Chef also partners with non-profit organizations in the Third Ward to offer hands-on classes to young adults to enable and inspire them to prepare healthy meals for themselves and their families.

2018 Chef of the Year
Kevin Naderi, Roost

Chefs Advisory Board

Beginning in the late 1990's Chef Monica Pope joined in Gracie's efforts to establish a group of concerned chefs who were willing to get involved in a hands on way to teach kids to cook. Twenty-four answered the call and in 2006, we established our Chefs Advisory Board, a working committee with Monica as its Chair. Through the years, more and more chefs have joined our founding members, and today we have over 100 members in Houston and across the country. Monica Pope continues to lead the team as Chair Emeritus.

These busy professionals donate their time month after month, year after year, bringing their unique insight and perspective of food to the children, turning on their taste buds and opening their minds to new foods. It's a Recipe for Success! Would you like to join us? Get in touch and get started today!

The Foundation's Chefs Advisory Board served as inspiration for the White House campaign for Chefs Move to School! Six members of our Chefs Advisory Board joined members of our Board of Directors at the White House in June 2010 for the kick-off of Chefs Move to Schools! where Recipe for Success was featured as a national model and resource. See pictures here. And read about the trip here and here.