A CULINARY INHERITANCE
Hi - I’m Jenna Grigalauski, founder of A Culinary Inheritance.
A passion for cooking and baking was sparked in me at a young age. My maternal grandmother was an excellent from-scratch cook. She always found a way to include me as a helper in her kitchen. We would pick vegetables in the garden and incorporate them into our evening meal. Ingredient selection was always local, healthy, and fresh.
Each Fall, the freezer was stocked with produce from the garden ensuring the meals she created were nutrient rich and healthy. A special treat at the end of a meal could include a homemade dessert. The use of quality ingredients was a priority for her. At a young age, I learned the importance of cooking with healthy ingredients and the way food brings people together to build community.
My grandmother along with many other close family members are the inspiration behind the name of my company: A Culinary Inheritance. I feel a connection to the generations that have gone before me as many of the cooking and baking techniques that I use come directly from family recipes.
As early as junior high and high school, I would prepare special meals for my friends and family. Therefore, I knew I was destined for a career in the food industry. About twenty years ago, I found my first industry job working in the kitchen of a local restaurant and catering company in my hometown of Naperville, Illinois. As an undergrad at the University of Illinois, I thoroughly enjoyed my part-time job working for University Catering.
The summer break between my junior and senior years, I was awarded a position in the internship program with Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises in Chicago, Illinois. Working for this highly reputable company taught me the importance of treating all employees with dignity and respect.
In 2008, I earned my undergraduate degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Upon graduation, I began working at FONA International, a flavor company in the western suburbs of Chicago. At FONA, I worked closely with a team of Flavorists (Flavor Chemists). They created flavors, and I was tasked with incorporating them into confectionery products like chewing gum, fruit snacks, gummies, chocolates & much more. (This was real life Charlie and The Chocolate Factory kind of stuff!)
In 2010, while working at FONA, I applied and was accepted into a culinary program at Kendall College in Chicago. I worked full time, and two or three nights a week I would drive downtown Chicago to attend classes at Kendall. I truly enjoyed my experience at Kendall taking courses in: stocks/sauces/soups, regional Mexican cuisine, French bistro, baking and pastry. In 2011, I earned a Certificate of Professional Cookery from Kendall College.
After working at FONA for over eight years, I accepted a role with Bell Flavors and Fragrances as the Manager of Sweet Applications. At Bell, I worked closely with a team of Flavorists and Food Scientists to develop flavors for a variety of applications like: ice cream, bread, cookies, confections, yogurt, pudding, lip balm, over-the-counter pharmaceutical products, and more. It was a role in which my creative mind was challenged every day, and I am thankful for the time I spent at Bell working on such a wide variety of products.
In 2021, I decided to make a big life change and move from the Chicago suburbs to Tucson. I have always been drawn to the desert southwest - the colors, the flora and fauna, and the food! Over the past few years, I began to rethink my career and life goals. During the planning phase of starting my business, I took a position on the talented pastry team at Hacienda Del Sol. In early 2023, I redirected my energy to pursuing my dream of starting my own business as a Personal Chef and Culinary Consultant. Which brings me to today!
