A Hoghton man has followed his dream to run a food-based business by launching a meal prep company.
Rhys Brindle decided earlier this year to quit his career in civil engineering and create The Fresh Chef.
“I reached a crossroads when I was 17 years old,” says Rhys. “Do I become a chef or do I go to university? I chose the latter.
“After graduating from university in Nottingham and eight years of working in the Civil Engineering industry, I quit my job in 2019 to travel in South America with my girlfriend.
“Covid-19 forced us to return home in April. Around three months ago I had lined up an interview with a civil engineering company, but I declined the offer as I really wanted to try my hand at something different.
“The decision wasn’t easy as it meant a huge pay reduction and an uncertain future, however I believe that I have the drive and determination to overlook that and follow my passion.
“It’s always been my dream to run a food-orientated company and experiment with different ingredients.”
With The Fresh Chef, Rhys aims to offer tasty, nutritious and affordable meals to customers across the North West.
There’s a total of 13 meals available, and each week a menu featuring five options is released. Nutritional information is provided for each meal, and ‘carb-less’ options are also offered.
The meals are all plant-based, something Rhys credits his girlfriend with.
“Almost four years ago now, my amazing girlfriend made the transition to a plant-based diet.
“I became determined to prove that ‘meat and dairy free meals’ don’t have to mean ‘taste free meals’. This led to me creating a variety of tailor-made recipes.
“Although all our meals are plant-based, our target audience is really anyone who enjoys food, not just vegans.
“It can be difficult getting people to taste plant-based food, as many have the preconception that it won’t taste very nice. However, once customers have tasted the meals the feedback has been exceptionally positive.
“My mission is to change people’s opinions on plant-based food for the better!”
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Rhys, who has completed the Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate, is currently working from his home kitchen.
“If orders pick up, we will look at getting our own premises with an industrial kitchen, but that’s in the future.
“Our hopes are to secure an amazing client base that would love to come on a journey with us, and in doing so would support a small and local business.
“Without them The Fresh Chef wouldn’t exist and my thanks goes to all those who have supported us so far.”
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To find out more, visit The Fresh Chef on Facebook.
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What do you think of Rhys following his dream? Let us know in the comments.