A culinary journey from West Africa to Richmond to the UK


Being within the digital age permits folks from internationally to attach and share info. You may pursue a profession as a content material creator by way of YouTube, Patreon, TikTok and different social media platforms. Or you should use these platforms as a repository for info as Christopher Gbelay is doing together with his Instagram web page.

Gbelay developed a ardour for cooking at a younger age by spending time together with his mother and grandma.

“The inspiration of cooking truly comes from my household,” Gbelay stated. “As a result of my household is sort of a large cooking household. And I helped within the kitchen, making stuff, baking stuff, you realize, creating reminiscences.”

Gbelay, who was born and spent his youthful years in Côte d’Ivoire in West Africa, immigrated when he was 15 to Las Vegas, the place his dad was a chef. Gbelay lived together with his household till he went to varsity in Iowa, the place he met his spouse, Meghan, a Richmond native.

Every time Gbelay would prepare dinner one thing, he’d take photographs of the completed product and submit the recipe so his son may look over the menu of dishes his father cooked, harkening again to his personal childhood reminiscences.

“At first, my web page was non-public and I used to be placing, you realize, identical to small recipes right here and there,” Gbelay stated. “Then my relations wished to see extra of what I used to be doing, so I made it public. As quickly as I made it public, extra folks had been interested by my type of cooking and wished to know extra about West African delicacies.”

His Instagram web page @gbelayskitchen has greater than 10,000 followers showcasing his culinary and confectionary creations.

Throughout the pandemic, Gbelay debated about opening his personal catering enterprise, but it surely wasn’t one thing possible given his schedule working as a full-time as a social employee in Chesterfield County.

“I do love serving to folks, however my ardour is definitely, you realize, kitchen and cooking,” Gbelay stated.

As his Instagram web page grew, not solely was he getting extra followers, he was getting extra questions on when he’d submit his subsequent recipe. This solely fueled his need to proceed following his ardour of cooking and his web page.

Gbelay’s persistence to proceed cooking his approach and following his ardour led him to lastly land a catering job in the UK, which he leaves for on Monday.

He’ll be working at a Royal Air Pressure base in England the place he’ll be one of many caterers for occasions held on the bottom. His crew will present meals and desserts for officers visiting the bottom or occasions held on the bottom.



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