Meet Chef Brady Farmer | President and Head Chef

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chef Brady Farmer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chef Brady, how does your business help the community?
My Business is my life. My charity Devoted to Youth Foundation is a ca non profit organization that helps youth and families in need in california and around the world. My wife Mariana and I have dedicated our lives to building this charity. I started Devoted to Youth in 2011 with the desire to help others like I desperately needed but didn’t receive as a child and even into my adult years. We help others in many ways. For instance we provide opportunity through our Farmers Market in Point Loma San DIego. We help families in starting businesses especially in the food industry. I have a fairly vast knowledge of food and I help people from start to finish with their small business plans.
Through my work I have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars that I have put toward building Devoted to Youth into a competing Charity. We have fed thousands of people from single meals to full feasts for the holidays. We have also helped many families with clothing, and many other goods they need to get by.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I was born a sick child to an even sicker mother that was not there for me like she should have been. At 5 years old she put me in front of the stove and taught me how to cook eggs and said here now you’re cooking for yourself. From then on I mostly raised myself. Out of necessity I had to find ways to take care of myself. At 12 years old I got a much needed life changing surgery that changed my future completely. I went from being allergic to everything to actually having a full life. But, life had another plan. Just after my surgery I had to start working to help my mother pay bills and I had to quit sports and life and work and go to school.
At 13 my older sister had a son and I then started to care for him and my family. Then at 16 my niece was born and I was caring for two kids, myself and my family. I was always cooking and taking care of others. When I graduated High School I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. So I figured I will try out Culinary school in Seattle. I started culinary school at South Seatlle Community College but quickly figured out my true passion is helping others and organizing events. I then quit culinary school and focused on my events and working with children.
Fast forward to 2004 when I moved to LA with a big dream of being a famous event producer and life changed once again. Life took me back into the culinary world when I started cooking for my first celebrity client in 2005. from 2005-2013 I was an untrained Personal Chef to celebrities and wealthy people in Los Angeles. In 2013 I started the one year culinary degree at Le Cordon Bleu which ended up helping me gain more jobs with the credential I needed.

Client list:
1. Joel Silver 2. Bill Layton
3. Kathy Guetta 4. Larry King
5. GT Dave 6. Terry Watanabe
7. Sam Goldwyn 8. David Hockney
9. Robert Downey Jr. 10. Emil Lotyanu
11. Simon Cowell 12. Beyonce & Jay Z
13. Ehud Lanaido 14. Hank Gordon
15. David Lee 16. Christina Aguilera
17. P. Diddy 18. Phil Maloof
19. Balthazar Getty 20. Vincent Herbert
21. Henry Nicholas 22. Amir Bahadori
23. Buchanan Family 24. Boyd Willet
25. Ziyad Abduljawad 26. Brian Kessler

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First place I would take them right when they arrive is the OB Surf Lodge for their amazing breakfast and Lavendar Mimosas!! Next we go back to my place and relax in the jacuzzi and eat my bbq since its the best in the West Coast haha.
The next day I would take them to the New Childrens Museum as its one of our staple places to take the kiddos. Then its off to rent a boat and go around the Beautiful Bays that San Diego has to offer.
There’s so much to do in this City its hard to say it all but I would take them to Liberty station’s Market to get some awesome eats and beers.
We would do a lot of eating on this trip in places like the Famous and freaking delicious Coasterra, Puesto at Sea Port Village, and Ironside in Little Italy for their Oyster $1 happy hour.
Padres Game, picnic at Kate sessions Park, Walking on the Waterfront, A beach Day in La Jolla Cove, some target practice at Poway Shooting range, a fun shopping trip at Fashion Valley, and so much more.

Last day of the trip the Family is spending their Sunday at Our Point Loma Farmers Market 9-2pm at Point Loma High school

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate my recent success to my wife Mariana. Without her the charity would not be close to what it is today. She is my partner and we will make huge change in this world.
Secondly I would like to thank Steve Allgeier our Chairman. Steve’s constant persistence no matter what the odds were is why I am so good at what I do.

Website: http://www.devotedtoyouth.org

Instagram: @devotedtoyouth

Facebook: @devotedtoyouth

Other: My personal info is:

www.chefbradleycookes.com
@chefbradleycookes
@Bradleycookescatering
@pointlomafarmersmarket
www.pointlomafarmersmarket.com