Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Gagliano
Hi Jessica, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey started when I was just 4 years old at my Grandmas kitchen counter making meatballs for Sunday dinner. I knew from that moment on that I wanted to be involved in the culinary industry and my passion for food blossomed from there. My love for food continued to grow and I attended Johnson & Wales in Rhode Island to learn the skills and foundation to start building my career. After culinary school, I worked in corporate food service as the Food Service Director for Merrill Lynch & Bank of America in Jacksonville. I soon found myself in a new role as a mother and wanted to be closer to my family in Orlando. Once in Orlando, I became part of the opening team for Guy Fieri’s Chicken Guy in Disney Springs. My time at Chicken Guy was short lived as Covid put a hold on everyone’s careers and shifted our way of life. While at home with my three kids I started to think about my career and the next path I wanted to take. I realized that although working in the corporate food work was great it was no longer where my passions lied, and it was time to focus on my own business so The Creative Kitchen was born! The Creative Kitchen started as a way for me to earn a little extra money for the holidays by creating charcuterie boards but soon grew into a full service catering business. I was fortunate enough in my journey to meet the very talented Pastry Chef Melisa who brings all of her passion for cake decorating and desserts to our clients. Together we have been able to help grow our small business throughout Central Florida. We now not only offer custom cakes & charcuterie boards but have expanded our menu to include grazing tables, hot buffets and custom dessert tables. Although our catering business is what we our known for we also have decided to share our passion for food with the community through our workshops. Our charcuterie & culinary workshops have been an amazing way for us to connect with our community and offer a fun and educational experience for all ages. Today we offer a variety of workshops at several different locations around central Florida including Keel Farms, Board & Brush, Windermere Brewing Company, Home State Brewing Co. and many more!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like any small business it has not been a smooth road. It has been many sleepless nights and lots of second guessing especially this past year. In December of 2023 I was faced with the decision either go back to corporate food service or continue to grow The Creative Kitchen after losing a partnership with another local business. Lossing that partnership made me question if this was the right career path and if I wanted to continue working for myself. But luckily through that past partnership I had met Melisa and with her encouragement and newfound partnership, as well as with the support of my family The Creative Kitchen branched out on its own! I had a lot of doubts and was worried if we could make it on our own. But luckily our passion and reputation propelled us The Creative Kitchen blossomed! Although it is still a lot of sleepless night and I am sure we still have a lot more challenges to face it is all worth it every time we see the smiles our food & cakes bring to people’s faces!
As you know, we’re big fans of The Creative Kitchen. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The Creative Kitchen is a custom catering company. We specialize in bringing your culinary or dessert visions to life through our food. We our most well known for our grazing tables and custom cakes. Our Pastry Chef Melisa is known for bringing cakes to life through her attention to details and her amazing fondant work. As well as being beautiful her cakes are also extremely fresh and delicious! I myself(Jessica) specialize in the savory side of the culinary world and create all of our custom grazing tables to life. Recently we have also become well known for our charcuterie workshops. Our workshops are a hands-on class in which everyone follows along to learn the tricks and tips as they build their own charcuterie board to enjoy. In the upcoming months we hope to introduce more workshops including cupcake/cake decorating and cooking workshops for all ages!
The Creative Kitchen is proud to offer quality and beautiful catering options to fit any budget. We pride ourselves on being able to bring peoples visions to life through food!
What matters most to you? Why?
For me my family is the most important thing in life! My family is the reason I work so hard and continue to push myself on a daily bases. My love and passion for food came from my family and experiencing the power that food has. Most of my fondest memories revolve around food and I believe that can be said by most people. Sunday dinner was a time for us all to get together and enjoy each others company, after 36 years those Sunday dinners are still something I treasure and are now a tradition I get to share with my own children. My family has always been there to support my dreams and have always encouraged me to pursue my passion. Building my own business has given me the ability to participate in the things that some working parents have to miss out on like picking my kids up from school or going on a random adventure on a Tuesday afternoon!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thecreativekitchenfl.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecreativekitchenfl/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecreativekitchencustomcatering
- Other: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/the-creative-kitchen-87165566543
