Chef Nicolas Manrique

I come from Bogota, Colombia. Hospitality runs in my blood, I’ve had a passion for it since childhood. My heritage is filled with Italian, Spanish and Arabic. I grew up watching my grandmother and mother cook for us, and take care of us. They’d tell us everytime that it is not just a meal, it is a meal with a purpose. Learning that growing up helps me to appreciate and love my job. I want to take care of people. I want to give people an experience like my family gave to me when I was a child. I started young, at the age of 14, I too applied for a scholarship at a culinary university in Bogota called GATO Dumas. The contest name was ‘Quiero Ser Chef’ ( I want to be chef ). I was the first young man under 18 to win the contest. I held that scholarship for 4 years while I finished my education. One of the judges of that contest was Harry Sasson, one of the most famous chefs in Colombia. He offered me intership in one of his restaurants. After school, I continued to work in many unique kitchens arround Colombia and the US. Now I live in Charlotte, North Carolina.