You may know 37-year-old Robert “Chef Stew” Stewart as a reality star on Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen” and “Guys Grocery Games.” He currently serves as a chef to celebrities and catering companies. For his next move he wants to open a culinary arts program called Transition Kitchen in Baltimore that will offer free training courses.
“I’m just literally doing what I did to get to the top,” Stewart told the AFRO. “I made this a community based initiative, obviously with some of the things that I was able to accomplish they are individual success stories,” said Stewart. “Transition Kitchen to me is the first time that I’m actually incorporating something of my own accomplishments. This is not really a ‘Chef Stew’ thing this is a Baltimore thing.”
Robert “Chef Stew” Stewart, a reality TV chef, wants to open a culinary training program in East Baltimore. (Courtesy Photo)
The program will take place in a vacant warehouse located in East Baltimore in the Midway community. Stewart is currently attempting to raise $30,000 to bring the program to reality.
“Transition Kitchen,” is a free 30-day program aimed primarily at young people looking to learn the culinary arts. The program will also offer other skills in addition to cooking: carpentry, HVAC, plumbing and more will also be available.
“I went in and got childhood friends who are electricians, HVAC and plumbers…I’m going to be able to use this warehouse for multiple reasons,” said Stewart.
“Chef Stew” plans to hire his students or offer resources to other major food agencies in need of employment. During the process of hiring students, he will then start a “drop-and-go” catering service where his students will get paid to prepare pre-prepped food for big parties.
Additionally, while his students spend time Monday through Thursday learning, on the weekends he will house rental space for aspiring chefs to prepare and sell their meals to the public.
Stewart who currently lives in San Fransisco aims to tackle issues surrounding police brutality, Black-on-Black crime and affordable housing by creating jobs and a peaceful environment for everyone to feel safe.
“I want to just put us in an environment where we can get to know each other,” he said.
After starting fundraisers, attending local events and spreading the word to Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings and other city officials, he is baffled why citizens want solutions and better opportunities for their neighborhoods, but don’t want to help with funding for programs that will be free for the public to learn and profit from.
“I’m shocked that it’s taking so long to come up with the money,” he said. “If I got the money tomorrow this program would be up in two weeks.”
Stewart needs close to $27,000 more to reach his goal and by doing so he started a Go Fund Me account and has launched a campaign to gather 10,000 people to donate one dollar each.
To breakdown his need for costly goods, he’s added a goal of roughly $1,000 or more for each item he needs purchased. So far he’s raised $800 for a fryer and is in the process of gaining $2,200 more for a refrigerator.
“Once we hit our goal…we would be able to stand alone,” he said. “Any of the money funded into ‘Transition Kitchen’ will go directly back to the communities of Baltimore.”
To donate to Transition Kitchen email transitionkitchenbmore@gmail.com or gofundme.com/transitionkitchen.