Meet Amanda Pilkington | Private Chef and Owner
We had the good fortune of connecting with Amanda Pilkington and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Amanda, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Absolutely! I’ve been a private chef for over 10 years. Most of my career took place when I live in Park City, Utah. Back then I was a workaholic. When it was high season, I often would work 12–16-hour days for weeks at a time. At the time, my idea of balance was during my off season, travelling for weeks/months at a time. This gave me a food and cultural fix which I felt Utah was seriously lacking.
However, this lifestyle was not sustainable. At the time I didn’t understand the meaning of self-care. I also didn’t know how to relax. I would put work above hitting the gym, socializing and cooking for myself!
Covid was a blessing and a curse. It halted my business but changed my life and workstyle completely. For once I was forced to slow down. It was very uncomfortable to begin with, but I had some of the best times during covid. I decided to take the plunge and move to LA after being sick of Utah for quite some time. I found it quite easy to make friends here and had some of the best times.
I’ve been in LA three and half years now. Slowing down and prioritizing self-care has made the world of difference to my life. If I work incredible hard for a few days in a row, I’ll make sure to rest hard, but more so not budge on my daily needs- working out, meditating, getting a good night’s rest, making time to have fun with my dogs and friends, and making time for recovery. Recovery has been so important since moving to LA, making time for stillness to better navigate this crazy world.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Sometimes we’re destined for roles that we think we don’t want or that we can’t imagine. I feel like this is the case for me. I’ve always had a great love for food, at one point my dream job was to be a food critic or pilot. In college I majored in Public Relations and Journalism.
Life has an interesting way of unraveling. This job has given me so many opportunities with travel and getting to experience the best food all over the world. Even though PR/Journo has changed so much since I was in college it has helped me establish and grow my business so I can share my story and passions.
I feel so fortunate to do the work I do. I get to go to the best farmers market in the world and create “works” that bring joy to others. I get to meet people equally as passionate about great food and make a difference in their lives.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
“Open” in Venice is my happy place. It’s where I find peace in their mindfulness classes yoga, breathework, restore. Santa Monica Wednesday Farmers Market is the best in LA in my opinion. I also love Mar Vista FM on Sunday and how there’s usually a great band performing most of the day.
Hotchkiss Park- it’s by the first place I lived in SM. I find it so peaceful or a great spot for a picnic.
Los Leones Trail in the Palisades- my favorite hike.
Bavel- One of my fav restaurants that seem to be consistent ever time
Holey Grail- I love their taro donuts
Nobu Malibu- by far the best Nobu I’ve been to and the view/scene is great
The Arts District-for great art and food
Merrihew’s Sunset Garden- my other happy place
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There’s a number of people I would like to recognize in supporting me to getting to where I am today. My dad instilled in me a great appreciation and love for incredible food. He’s a great cook and foodie. I absorbed so much growing up with his influence. I didn’t set out to become a chef or work in the food industry. I feel like the job found me. I worked in many different restaurants growing up and then randomly got a job as chef/flight attendant aboard a private jet. That set me up to become a private chef, not that I knew that was really a thing when I first started. After working on jets I moved to Utah. I owe a huge thank you to my first client Lori Wilson who took me on as her chef and before I knew it I was cooking for over thirty families in Park City, UT.
I also could not do this job without amazing assistants and helpers. This job is incredibly time consuming, physical and gets exhausting. I had an amazing assistant in Utah named Eren Vargas.
Since living in LA, I’ve had great opportunities connecting with other incredible chefs. We inspire one another and support each other, to that I’m very thankful for as well.
Website: www.chefamandapilkington.com
Instagram: chefamandap
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-pilkington-457a6448
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chefamandapilkington/
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