Our Entrepreneurs

In our kitchen, everyone can be a breadwinner.

More than 250 small businesses have been supported by Hot Bread Kitchen since our inception, and approximately 90% are owned by women and people of color. We’ve been proud partners to help these talented entrepreneurs hone their skills, sharpen their plans, and realize their business dreams. You can find their delicious and original food products online, at retail shops, farmers’ markets, and events across NYC and beyond.

Hot Bread Kitchen Members on Shef in NYC

Chef Cornel Robinson

Cornel hails from Kingston, Jamaica and learned to cook at a young age by helping his mother in the kitchen. Soon after moving to New York and graduating from culinary school, Cornel joined the Hot Bread Kitchen community in 2017. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cornel has continued to work as an essential worker as a culinary and dietary clerk at a long-term health care facility in the Bronx. Sample menu items: Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Brown Rice and Peas, Steamed Green Peas

Order from Cornel on Shef

Chef Sandra Mathis

Sandra draws inspiration from growing up with her grandmother in North Carolina. She learned to cook at her grandmother’s side and is proud to carry on the family tradition with her daughter, Grace. Sandra’s cooking brings classic Southern charm with an “old fashioned” taste. Her menu includes traditional North Carolina foods like collard greens, black-eyed peas, and her grandmother’s baked banana pudding. Sandra says, “I am a trainee by way of my ancestors.” Sample menu items: Chopped Turkey BBQ, Coleslaw, Sweet Potato Cornbread

Order from Sandra on Shef

Chef Lexis Gonzalez

Lexis’ cooking is a unique reflection of her roots, which include both Boricua (Puerto Rican) and Geechee cuisines (Geechee is the African-influenced cooking from the low country of Charleston, SC). Together with her mom, she creates both sweet and savory foods. Sample menu items: Chicken Guisado (Puerto-Rican Style Chicken Stew), Sauteed Green Cabbage, Mac and Cheese

Order from Lexis on Shef

Chef Maryam Boddie

Maryam’s grandparents sparked her interest in cooking: her Nonna Mary cooked at the world-famous Sylvia’s Restaurant in Harlem and her Pop sold fruit and vegetables at a cart nearby. Her cooking, “Mediterranean Soul Food,” is classic comfort dishes cooked with a lighter Mediterranean sensibility that is taste-tested and approved by Maryam’s seven beautiful children. Sample menu items: Herb-Roasted Chicken Breast, String Beans with Cranberries and Almonds, Dirty Rice Salad

Order from Maryam on Shef

Chef Jesebel Gumogda

Jesebel was born & raised in the Philippines. She moved to New York after she graduated from De La Salle‑College of Saint Benilde, where she studied Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management ad Culinary Arts. She worked alongside well‑known chefs for 10 years which molded her into a Pastry Chef. Desserts brings so much motivation, joy, and unforgettable memories. Sample items: Peach and Mango turnovers, Pandesal, and Pianonos

Order from Jesebel on Shef

Order Catering

Browse through our 2021 guide featuring talented businesses supported by Hot Bread Kitchen who have experience catering everything from 15 person meetings to 200-person events. Reach out to the individual business to learn more information.

Download Catering Guide