How Burnout Led Travis Hayden to a Culinary Career
“What really attracted me to cooking is how food could bring so many people together.”
Travis Hayden is Chef De Partie at Rustic Canyon.
What was the Lightbulb Moment that inspired you to fully dive into what you do?
My interest in cooking began in my mid-twenties after my two best friends created a network TV show called Dinner with the Band. They built out a commercial cooking studio for filming. When not in use, we hosted weekly potluck style dinner parties. I met a lot of close friends during this period of my life, and realized what really attracted me to cooking is how food could bring so many people together. Each week I tried to cook something new, and began to develop my repertoire as a home cook. I was committed to my entertainment career but continued my curiosities within the culinary world.
Nearly ten years later, I was unhappy and burnt out in my career. I decided to take time off of entertainment with no plan other than to simply recalibrate and stabilize my life. I still had the itch to see what the culinary world might be like from the back of house. I approached my favorite restaurant, Rustic Canyon, asking if I could work for free. They agreed and my real culinary education began. Months prior, I'd been managing several teams of people, and the careers of DJ and hip-hop superstars; Now I was terrified of being fired from an unpaid position. Starting from zero, I'd beg people to give me tasks, and if they didn't have anything I'd clean and organize the walk-in refrigerator. I came in almost everyday. I was hooked, even if that meant mopping the walk-in daily. Eventually I'd be trusted with more tasks and one day a spot opened up. I accepted a position. The first day they trusted me with my own station I nearly threw up from anxiety. The second day I only almost threw up. The third day, I loved it.
What’s the most unexpected thing you’ve learned in your current career?
I've always struggled with math. In my entertainment career, my work around was to use Excel for everything. In the kitchen I don't have the luxury of a laptop. So now, the kid who nearly failed algebra is quite proficient in math. I'm always calculating missing percentages, adjusting recipe sizes, and using math to look into the science side of cooking as well. I recently made raw red wine and it needed it to be a certain concentration of acidity to be safe. I couldn't afford a lab test, so I taught myself chemistry and learned how to take a titration of the acid myself.
What often sparks your creativity or gets you into the creative zone?
The farmers markets are a big source of inspiration for me. They're almost always changing, something new is always coming into season. There are slow parts of the year, but there's almost always something to work. Also, it's nice to see some of your peers outside of the kitchen.
I also have a fairly large cookbook collection. I love buying and reading cookbooks from the 70s and 80s. I've found a lot of inspiration just from seeing dishes and exploring technique that just isn't as popular now. I'm always digging into and dog-earing my Jeremiah Tower and Richard Olney cookbooks.
What is your unfiltered advice for anyone looking to break into your industry?
Don't go to culinary school. Just go to your favorite restaurant and ask if you can work for free. It's free and you'll learn more.
Apr 1, 2020
By Ashley Tibbits