bachelor’s degree in business, retail management, and advertising and product development, as well as a minor in food studies. This propelled her into a career that included successful terms in product development at Macy’s in housewares and at Freshly, a leading prepared meal delivery subscription service, all while attending culinary school and attending to clients as a private chef. “Now, my schtick as a professional private chef is catering to clients who have dietary specifications and restrictions,” Brooke explained. “It’s estimated that close to 50 million Americans have these needs whether that means they’re gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, AIP-friendly, etc. And, surprisingly, even now, and even in a place like LA, there are not that many culinary professionals who are trained to cater to these needs or cook for these clients. I recognized this as a niche culinary market and private shopping world I could tap into while breaking the stigma of healthy food being bland or boring or tasteless. That it can be delicious, indulgent and social media-worthy. And that everyone can enjoy it, regardless of their dietary needs.” Brooke has nurtured her private chef business to bloom into what it is today, which includes an entire team of professionals from bartenders and servers to florists and an office lead to take the Chef Bae brand to the next level, giving Brooke more time to do what she does best – shop, cook and go viral while catering to celebrity clients like Paris Hilton, Dan Reynolds and Olivia Culpo. You’ve probably seen her viral behind-the-scenes looks into celebrities’ refrigerators, the $1,000+ daily Erewhon hauls and the delectable dishes she has whipped up for some of the world’s most prolific stars including royals, athletes, movie stars and more on her Instagram and TikTok channels, @chefbae, where she allows everyday people to see how the other half lives. She is also the host of her own cooking show, "Overheard Eats," and has recently collaborated on a Chef Bae x Monty's Plant-Based Carrot Cake in a Jar made with Monty's Maple Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting. The dessert is single-serve, gluten-free, refined-sugar free and vegan. It will be available for nationwide shipping on livemontys.com. But what’s interesting is the way she marries these two primary passions – her career as a celebrity private chef and a dedicated nonprofit leader bridging the gap between food insecurity and education. “A lot of people don’t realize that with some planning you can often get a filling, delicious, healthy meal for a family of four or more for less money than it would cost to go through a drive-thru,” Brooke said. “And you don’t need all of the expensive ingredients that you see in a lot of my videos to do it. ”
BROOKE BAEVSKY (Alpha-Syracuse) Private Chef
Brooke Baevsky (Alpha-Syracuse), aka “Chef Bae,” is a private chef based out of Los Angeles who you might recognize from channels like Food Network and America’s Test Kitchen, as well as Instagram and TikTok where she has amassed over 650,000 followers and gone viral for breaking the allergy-friendly food stigmas with her delicious, health-forward recipes. Brooke captivates millions with her award-winning recipes that are packed with innovative ingredient swaps and unique flavor combinations like Salted Caramel Collagen Fudge bars, Shakshuka-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, Mindy Kaling’s Fave French Toast (yes, that Mindy Kaling from “The Office” and “The Mindy Project”), Raw Vegan Tahini Cheesecake and so much more. She has partnered with some of the largest food companies in the world including Starbucks, Nestlé, Panera Bread and LA-favorite Erewhon to develop tastier, more nutrient-dense products for customers all over the world. And she’s just getting started. Brooke’s culinary passions are rooted in her desire to give back to her community. Having grown up outside of Springfield, Massachusetts, in Longmeadow, she witnessed first-hand what it was like to live near a city with a high rate of food insecurity. Children and families lived almost exclusively on school-subsidized lunches, food stamps and fast food. “This was always so devastating to me,” Brooke recalled. “I learned from a young age that food and healthy food is a privilege, and I believe [it should be] a right for everybody, no matter their income level. There’s an imbalance in our society with income level and education around living a healthy life.” Determined to make access to affordable, healthy food and education around it a right and not a privilege, Brooke raised money to support healthy cooking classes on a local level. She founded and continues to lead a non-profit cooking program for inner-city children and families in both Los Angles and New York City. These classes teach the importance of creating and maintaining a healthy, balanced diet on a limited budget while giving participants the skills to do so for themselves and, hopefully, for generations to come. “Living in LA, we have access to some of the best produce in the country, if not the world,” Brooke continued. “And I hope to continue this education- focused mission with a similar program with a local zero-waste farm and working with families in need.” In addition to her community-focused service work, Brooke has built a culinary business centered around catering to those with food allergies and sensitivities in Los Angeles. This passion for pursuing a career as a private chef can be traced back to her days at Syracuse University where she was an active member of the Alpha chapter and where she earned her
Stay connected with Brooke at ItsChefBae.com.
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