Gallaghers New Chef, John Sinclair

"Since the idea of “cooking- for- a- living” entered his mind, John has been following working in the food-service industry. He joined a catering troupe as soon as he could, which specialized in barbecue, and learned the ins- and outs of the business over the next 8 years of employment with the company. While working for the catering company John went to, and graduated from the California School of Culinary Arts with an Associates Occupational Degree in Culinary Arts in the Le Cordon Bleu program. Once out of school John did his externship at the Dal Rae in Pico Rivera, where he was hired on as a prep and line cook. The Dal Rae was a prominent place in John’s career, as it was where he got his first taste of restaurant life. Having learned what life in a restaurant is all about John took a position in Monrovia, CA at the Peach Café, as the lead cook and kitchen manager.

The Peach Café was a turning point for John as it was here that John learned that he loved to cook. It was just something he was good at before this point, but after, it was a passion, something he thrived on and loved. Something he needed so he could move on in his career. From the Peach Café John went on to work as a head chef for a Cajun restaurant in Monrovia, CA. Merrill Gardens of Whittier was his next stop. Merrill Gardens is a Senior Living Community that thrives on keeping its residents active, well fed, and happy. John was employed as the dining services manager for Merrill Gardens, where he did absolutely everything there is to do in a restaurant, from serving and dishwashing to budgets and scheduling. While at Merrill Gardens John was also the head pastry chef part time at Sage Restaurant in Whittier, where he designed and created a vast number of desserts, some of which can still be found there. The most current position John held is as a personal chef. John has been a personal chef for just under a year now, and enjoys it very much. He feels it’s the kind of position that really allows him to experiment and use the product he enjoys using. It’s the kind of creative freedom he really enjoys. The kind that you only find in catering to each and every client on an individual basis."