Taylor Made Cuisine

Chef Taylor Campbell was born November 21, 1988, in Compton, Ca. She was raised by her mother and family on the east side of Compton. At that time, while her mother went to work, her aunt Sharon would babysit her, and they would take care of her great grandma Madea. Taylor learned how to spread the butter on toast, make boiled egg and be careful not to spill the coffee. She loved helping her aunt. Taylor's mother Tami moved them to Denver, Co to live with Tami's mother Holly and Grandmother Dee (aka Nanny is what Taylor called her). Taylor would be in the kitchen with her nanny cooking breakfast like eggs, bacon, grits and biscuits, and her grandma Holly cooking dinner like homemade pizza, meatloaf, casserole and stews. This was the most memorial time being with her grandmothers.

 

By the age of 5 years old, Tami moved Taylor back to California and started a new life in the Harbor Hills Housing Authorities in Lomita, Ca. This is where Taylor spent 16 years in developing her social skills and went to the nearby schools. She graduated from Narbonne High School in 2006. All through school she was in drill team, small flag, dance squads and plays. Taylor just knew she was going to be the first black principle at Julliard University in New York, but other circumstance happens and she wasn't able to attend. In 2007, Taylor start working at T.G.I Fridays in Torrance, Ca. She was hired as a host and after a few months, she was promoted to a server. Taylor's love for food grew stronger.  After 5 years of working there she was able to be bartender, work the back of the house, developed a marketing and advertisement team, promoted events throughout the week, participated in the bar flairs, became a trainer and helped open a T.G.I Fridays in Compton, Ca.  In the mist of all this growth, her grandmother Holly passed away in 2007, not too long after she started at Fridays, Taylor knew her grandma was big on education and owning her own business. From that day forward, Taylor promised herself she will go to college and grind until she got her own restaurant. The next semester she started Los Angeles Harbor College!

 

While in school she began working at Benihana as a server and got into their chef training. She was the 1st black chef at the Torrance location. Taylor went to another restaurant, but unfortunately, she was terminated because of her tardiness. At that time, she was taking care of her sick uncle that suffered from a stroke and time was never on her side. But the owner of the restaurant knew she had a catering business and gave her money to encourage her to work for herself fully in 2016. After she was blessed with funds, she began to fully work for herself. 

 

Taylor wanted to build her craft in the art of cooking. In January 2017, she decided to register into the culinary program at Los Angeles Harbor College. Not long after she began, Taylor found out she was 12 weeks pregnant with her longtime boyfriend. She stayed in school to finish out the semester. She had a beautiful baby girl name Charly (named after her grandfather). After Charly was about 6 months, she decided to finish the culinary program. Taylor was able to network with people, open the schools new building and participated in the 1st annual culinary cup (LAHC WON THE CUP!). She graduated June 2019 with all of her certificates and degree. The best motivation she had besides her promise she gave to her grandmother was the legacy she needed to build for her daughter. 

 

Now Chef Taylor has branched out her skills in becoming a restaurant consultant while helping restaurant owner revamp their businesses. Chef Tay also started helping the students at Banning High School while they got ready for the FCCLA competitions. Then she was asked to be a judge for the past couple of years 2022-2023.