Chef Darian Bryan is the Jamaican transplant that made a name for himself in Buffalo selling Caribbean cuisine at his Jerk Hut pop-up and as the personal chef to Stefon Diggs, but Bryan says the real secret ingredient to his success is his wife Jessica.
"We met at Erie Community College when she came in as a guest," he said. "I gave her my business card and she [texted] me that same night. We went out and the rest is history. But we’ve been together for six years now, and she’s been, I would say, one of my biggest fans and supporters."
Darian makes the meals that make the money, while Jessica runs the business side of things, including managing his social media, making sure that every shot is picture perfect. She’s also a senior analyst for Affordable Housing and the director of operations at the Plating Society, where she and her husband hold pop-up restaurants, private events and cooking classes.
"With so many responsibilities, constant emails, filing taxes, payroll for employees, making events come alive, it’s pretty much like a part-time job for me," Jessica says.
And that’s been her job since Darian quit his job at Fisher-Price to become a full-time personal chef. While it wasn’t easy helping her husband from the halls of a community college to the kitchens of the NFL, Jessica says it takes hard work to build a successful brand.
"It’s super important to just follow your dreams," she said. "You never know what’s going to become of it. I believed in Darian and that’s all it took."