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
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
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
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
Chef Jesebel Gumogda
Jesebel was born & raised in the Philippines. She moved to New York after sshe 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
Chef Claude & Craig
Claude & Craig are a Harlem couple who love each other and love cooking even more. They own and operate a boutique catering company, Cornbread26, that provides a modern twist on rustic comfort classics. Every dish we make is made with absolute love, care, and great attention to quality and flavor. Sample menu items: Vegetable Lasagne, Lemon Artichoke Chicken, Bacon Wrapped Cornbread Meatloaf, Reuben Casserole
Hot Bread Kitchen Members
An Entrepreneur’s Journey From Colombia to New York City
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Celebrating Black Entrepreneurs
During Black History Month, Hot Bread Kitchen is celebrating the diverse community of Black entrepreneurs working out...
Find a Caterer
Browse through our 2019 guide featuring talented businesses incubated by Hot Bread Kitchen who have experience catering 15 person meetings through 200-person events. Reach out to the individual business to learn more information.
