Some of the world’s best chefs come to us from unusual backgrounds. Gordon Ramsay, for example, was on his way to becoming a professional soccer player, until he hung up his cleats for pots and pans. For Jonathan Preskow, his entry into cooking came through industrial design. It isn’t as odd as it seems, however: “Industrial design is all about creating products and services that meet your client’s needs,” he explains. “Catering is the same, it’s an artistic way to give clients something they want. And industrial design gave me a sense of flow and artistic presentation, I’m a food designer now, in a sense.”
Jonathan spent quite a few years in the kitchens of restaurants after getting his industrial design degree, but he decided that wasn’t where his skills would be best used. He still wanted to create delicious dishes, so on a whim he decided to try out catering, and he’s never looked back.
“There’s no guessing games with catering,” he says. “There’s some definition to what is happening and when. There’s a sense of structure and stability, but at the same time I love how every event and client is different.”