'à la carte' PR
Robert Upton
*****
Robert Upton

Personal Chef
Caterer
Culinary Instructor
International Cuisine Connoisseur
Gardener
Creator of Fine Gourmet Sauces

Chef Robert Upton's love for cooking began when he was a child, watching his mother and grandmother whip up magic in the kitchen - fantastic dishes ranging from their German heritage recipes to down-home Southern cuisine.
He spent a lot of timing 'assisting' in the kitchen when he was a boy and, in fact, his first merit badge in Boy Scouts was for cooking. Growing up watching Julia Child on PBS was a hobby that fueled his hunger for a career as a professional chef.
Robert's first job was at age 16 at a delicatessen in Richmond, Virginia. While continuing his college education he took various cooking classes and worked at a family restaurant for seven years; learning every aspect of the food business.
Robert has more than 23 years of experience in the culinary field and has worked at a variety of fine restaurants across the country. He is `culinarily fluent' in a number of languages, including Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, French, German, and others. When he isn't shopping at the best local markets, of every ethnicity, he is picking fresh 'bounty' from his garden where he grows herbs and edible flowers, among other treasurers.
Robert has an eclectic range of expertise and interests, among them:
Creation of a line of gourmet sauces which are sold at specialty food shops
Authoring a cookbook
Conducting wine tasting dinners pairing fine wines and food
Writing a cooking and recipe column for local community newsletters
Catering personal dinners ranging from candlelight gourmet to backyard barbecues
Packing exquisite picnic baskets for family gatherings or romantic weekends
Cooking classes to meet a variety of interests and every skill level
Robert launched his business, Culinary Concepts, to fulfill his two-fold dream: providing high quality catering services for individuals, families, businesses, and organizations and teaching cooking classes in his own 'studio'.
From tending his garden of vegetables, herbs and edible flowers to creating sumptuous dishes to suit any taste, cooking is not just Robert's profession ~ it is his passion.