News

  • Aug 26
    2009
    Passionate Dishes
    Married chefs oversee food services
    By Marienne Thomas-ogle News Staff Writer

    Source:  Birmingham News
    Wednesday,August 26, 2009
     
    There will be some new folks rattling pots and pans in Pelham come September.

    That's when husband and wife cooking team Jay and Lynn Roberson take over as chefs, in charge of food and beverage services for the city.

    Pelham made the move this month to hire the Robersons,with the goal of coor-

    dinating and growing the appetite appeal at three of the city's venues - the Pelham Civic Complex, Pelham Racquet Club and Ballantrae Golf Club.

    The Robersons will plan menus, cook, and oversee food service at all three locations for special events such as tournaments and business conferences, outside catering and even what are now basic hot dog and hamburger concession stands. A small, crosstrained staff will assist.

    "We felt this was a unique opportunity to not only help market our facilities, but to bring the benefit of the Robersons' wonderful talents to the citizens of Pelham and beyond," said Mayor Don Murphy.

    They are certified chefs, graduates of the Jefferson State Community College culinary arts business program where they met on the first day of school 22 years ago.

    They became close friends through their three year, 6,000-hour apprenticeships and went on to marry and form a partnership based on their love of cooking.

    "Our corporation's name is Passionate Foods Inc., because our passions are our relationship and our food," said Jay. "We spend all our time - work and play - together, and in this business, if you're married to someone who doesn't understand it, the marriage won't last."

    Their careers, like their relationship, have proven to be long-lasting.

    At age 13, Jay began work at Savage's Bakery in Homewood, which was close enough to home so he could walk.

    "I was really the clean-up guy and the bakers taught me how to ice donuts," Jay said. "I really liked to watch everything that was going on and eat leftovers."

    He worked as kitchen manager at the original Incahoot's Restaurant in Hoover, then worked his way up the food service ladder as a sous chef and executive sous chef at locations like Mauby's and the Summit Club. He also served as executive chef at the Riverchase Country Club for 81/2 years.

    While Lynn had an interest in food and cooking as early as 5 years old, she worked as a medical secretary at the University of Alabama at Birmingham for several years.

    But she also catered there on the side and was so successful that then UAB President Charles "Scotty" McCallum encouraged her to pursue an education and full time career in the food business. She did at Jefferson State and met her future husband and business partner.

    In 2003, the Robersons opened Capers Comfort Foods restaurant in an Alabaster convenience store.

    With no sign or advertising and 35 seats, they eventually were feeding lunch to more than 300 people over four hours, five days a week.

    Word of mouth built the venture into a monster that in four years devoured itself, Lynn said.

    "Every day you'd find CEOs sitting next to truck drivers, and the restaurant received 13 Birmingham News Readers Choice Awards," she said. "But we just ran out of space, with literally nowhere to put the extra raw food, or space to cook for the increasing number of customers."

    Butch Byrd, general manager of Pelham's Ballantrae Golf Club, was one of those early diners taken with the Robersons and their operation.

    A past manager of food and beverage service at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida and later, North River Yacht Club, Tuscaloosa, it was Byrd's insight into the business that prompted him to bring the Robersons to the attention of Pelham officials.

    "The food was consistently good, their place was so clean, and they were so friendly they came to know most everyone by name," Byrd said. "Anyone can see they are excellent cooks and good people who were obviously raised right."

    As Pelham's executive chef and catering director respectively, Jay and Lynn said they will make available food choices from haute cuisine to country style, while keeping quality and reasonable pricing as priorities.

    All recipes begin with raw products and will range from simple items like fried green tomatoes and pickled shrimp to the more elegant figs foster and lamb tenderloin, Lynn said.

    "We also have plans for things like outdoor barbecues, community Thanksgiving buffets, and sophisticated and wholesome concession stand food," Lynn said. "We're known for soul food with a flair."

    Eva Shepherd, Pelham marketing director, said she anticipates once word spreads about the Robersons, the Civic Complex phone will stay busy.

    "We can host so many different types of events, including statewide business meetings and volleyball tournaments, antique car auctions and proms," Shepherd said. "Having Jay and Lynn on staff puts us in a better, more flexible position to serve the market and be a true community center to our residents and visitors."

    It has long been the Robersons' policy to improve a dish every time it's cooked, and to work to bring people back for more.

    "We believe people eat with their eyes, nose and then their mouth, and that's the attitude we want to convey in our jobs," Jay said. "Pelham is a forward-thinking city and we plan to be as creative as we can to get this part of the machine running." 
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