About The Chef
Chef Barry C. Brock
Originally from Crossville, TN, Chef Barry C. Brock has lived and traveled all over the world. Interested in all things culinary from an early age, he took great interest in learning about how each locale has its own story and rich history steeped in food and celebrations. One of his earliest memories is standing by his grandmother’s side as she prepared everything from breakfast biscuits to holiday hams to the best cobblers he has had to this day. The two things that stood out to Chef Barry watching his grandmother cook was she seemed able to make any food item like it was magic, and how happy her food made all guests who entered her home (and in true Southern fashion, you were not leaving with an empty stomach).
After 4 years of active duty in the Marine Corps Infantry, Chef Barry decided to utilize his GI Bill by attending and graduating culinary school. Since then, Chef Barry had the privilege of working under, Chef Tory McPhail, a James Beard Award winning chef during his tenure at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans. However, it was teaching culinary school for 5 years where Chef Barry found his true passion; teaching interested learners about the wonders of the culinary world!! Here, Chef Barry is able to bring his broad knowledge of culinary fare from around the world and pass it on to you. According to Chef Barry, the best thing about learning the ins and outs of the kitchen, is how you can adapt them to fit your own style and taste.
Chef Barry and his wife Maria (the Merry part of Sweet Merry Berry) have called Chattanooga their home since 2006. December of 2018 was a pivotal turning point for Chef Barry. After obtaining his Masters of Business Administration at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, he also found himself unemployed due to the culinary school closing that same month. Always wanting to start his own business, Chef Barry decided it was time to jump into the world of Culinary Entrepreneurship in March 2019. Once again, a year later, Chef Barry would experience another high and low in the same month, when March 2020 brought him to his current location at 1309 Taft Hwy, Signal Mountain, but also wrecked his catering functions with the beginning of Covid lockdowns. However, coming out on the other side of those hard times have made Chef Barry that much more determined to bring culinary excellence to the Chattanooga area. If you are ever in the area and looking to talk all things culinary, stop by and talk with Chef Barry; he enjoys nothing more!