Memphian Ebony Upshaw putting her culinary gifts on display as the face of OrderUp Catering & Personal Chef Services
Andre Johnson 
“Your story is what you have, what you will always have. It is something to own.” — Michelle Obama
DESTINY STEPS
DALLAS — Ebony Upshaw could be appropriately described as a feel-good story, of sorts — one that dates back to her teenage years.
It is, by all accounts, a story that depicts Upshaw’s rise as a professional Mid-South-area chef, a narrative that has given way to her having discovered the divine purpose for which she was created.
“My drive actually came when I was 13,” Upshaw, during an interview this week with Making Headline News, said, recalling the awe-inspiring developments that have contributed mightily to her success as a chef. “My mom was having surgery that summer and was down most (that time). I had to figure out what to do while she was in the hospital, being that my dad and brother didn’t know how to cook. So, I got in the kitchen and made fried chicken, spaghetti and green beans. Been cooking ever since.”
And, just like that, it was then that Upshaw had officially discovered her passion, a development whereby many have come to embrace, in large part because, well, delectable food is customarily involved.
MORE ON UPSHAW’S VENTURE: https://www.facebook.com/ChefEbby/
A native of Memphis, Upshaw, 37, is the Executive Chef and CEO of OrderUp Catering & Personal Chef Services, her Bluff City-based venture that has been in operations since December 2007.
OrderUp Catering & Personal Chef Services is widely known for offering catering, private dinners, and cooking classes.
For Upshaw, a graduate of Memphis’ historic Booker T. Washington High, her quest to erecting a business comes amid humble beginnings, something by which she doesn’t merely take lightly.
“Sometimes, all you need is one word of encouragement or affirmation to keep going,” Upshaw said.
All things considered, it seems Upshaw has benefited fervently from the periodic wise counsel, considering she was destined to never place by the wayside her God-given culinary gifts.
Heck, if nothing else, she only devised ways to strategically enhance it, all the while letting her light shine in the process.
“(My mission for running this business is) to allow the love for what I do to be felt through my cooking and for God to be glorified,” said Upshaw, who was inspired by a host of family members to move forward with her business, most notably her grandmother, Elnora Shegog, and a trio of uncles: Van Upshaw II, Grant Upshaw, Leo Upshaw. “I love working independently and also collaborating with other chefs as well. I get to put my creativity to work and challenge myself to be better.”
A product of South Memphis, Upshaw attended the University of Tennessee at Martin briefly after graduating from BTW in 2001. Consequently, she would enroll at L’ECole Culinaire, where in August 2014 she acquired an Associate Degree in Restaurant and Culinary Management to complement her immeasurable mechanics as an accomplished cooking guru.
Nearly two-and-a-half decades removed from having discovered her passion, Upshaw doesn’t shy away from the notion that she’s undoubtedly found her niche as one of the Mid-South’s best kept secrets in the culinary industry.
“I’ve catered for babies up to the most seasoned customers,” said Upshaw, whose culinary skills have been put on display in a number of establishments outside of Memphis.
Given the remarkable strides she’s made since the startup of OrderUp Catering & Personal Chef Services, Upshaw is forever grateful to those who have paved the way to her success, she acknowledged.
“Someone had to do it for me when I started out, and it’s a part of me to do it for someone else,” Upshaw said.
Continuing a life-altering narrative that has given way to her having discovered the divine purpose for which she was created.
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For more information Mid-South Businesswoman Ebony Upshaw of OrderUp Catering & Personal Chef Services or to inquire about her services, connect with her via social: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChefEbby/; Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orderupcatering/. Also, send email to: [email protected].
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EDITOR’S NOTE: If you are an entrepreneur, business owner, producer, author, athlete, musician, barber, life coach, motivational speaker, cosmetologist, tax preparer, model, or pastor/minister who is seeking exposure and would like to share your story with an in-depth news feature, call Reporter Andre Johnson at 901-690-6587 or Facebook message him under “Andre T. Johnson” for details.
Andre Johnson is the award-winning Founder and Publisher for Making Headline News. A 2000 graduate of the University of Memphis School of Journalism and a former staff reporter of sports for the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper, Johnson covers the NBA Southwest Division from Dallas, Texas. To reach Johnson, send email to [email protected] or to [email protected]. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist.
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