Kitchen Rodeo was born from the circumstances we found ourselves in during the COVID-19 pandemic -- at home, with more time but less connection, and the need to feed ourselves. At Kitchen Rodeo we distance-cooked with friends, ate tasty food, and gave back.

Facts

More than $175k raised since March 20, 2020
80 Rodeos hosted + our weekly sourdough starter office hours
Features hobbyists as well as professional chefs
No fees: 100% of the proceeds donated to the host’s cause
All time and overhead costs were paid by Kitchen Rodeo
All rodeos are Zoom based to allow for participation by attendees, including active question & answers and video spotlighting of their work in progress
Some Rodeos involved multi-session and/or multi-day attendance -- the longest Rodeo (focaccia) took place over 20 hours!

Story

The first “rodeo” was a late March focaccia class taught by our fearless leader, Frank, who was eager to share his newfound love of bread baking with friends. The class was an unexpected hit, with over 40 folks from around the country joining, and raising almost $4,000 for City Harvest. The real joy came from the moments of shared laughter and inspiration -- by using the interactive format of Zoom, the focus was not just on the teacher, but on the community experience of learning and baking together.

Inspired by this first foray, Frank was joined by four other friends to expand on the experience. Starting the week of April 13, 2020, new hosts -- or as we call them, wranglers -- were added to the mix including chefs from popular neighborhood restaurants.

Our name is inspired by the fun, spontaneity, and participatory nature of our format, as well as the idea that everyone can take their turn in the ring.

We believe that in this great time of uncertainty and anxiety, we need community and creativity more than ever. Cooking is one of the great shared human experiences -- and we’re excited to re-emphasize this during these isolated times.

We see this venture as a way to give back: 100% of the funds raised by each rodeo go to the wrangler’s choice -- a charity or restaurant’s employee fund.

Who We Are

Frank Harris
Frank quit his job to attend ICC's bread course. Then the pandemic hit. This was basically all Frank’s idea.

Kim Bost
Kim does all things design. Her fav LinkedIn moment was adding WSET Level 1. Level 2 is up next, baby.

Betty Liao
Betty is about to get an MBA at Stanford. (Go Betty!) She’s probably the smartest one on the team.

Lizzie Redman
Lizzie is a seasoned operations leader and keeps us pro. She makes a mean gumbo.

Phoebe Melnick
Phoebe has produced shows for Food Network, Thrillist, and Food & Wine. She levels up our video game.

Sarah Schenkkan
Sarah runs the Milk Bar classroom and is feeling the pain of this pandemic first hand. She is our industry expert.

🎁 Give as a Gift

See all posts from Kitchen Rodeo