Into the Spotlight, sponsored by Huddersfield-based Scriba PR, is a weekly feature which highlights some great businesses. This week we feature Huddersfield-based personal chef Lashaun Pryce who cooks for some big name footballers.
Personal chef Lashaun Pryce has all the ingredients for business success – and he’s aiming for the Premier League.
Huddersfield-based Lashaun, 33, started out last year cooking for professional footballers including former Huddersfield Town star Izzy Brown, Leeds United’s England star Kalvin Phillips and Wales international Tyler Roberts.
Since then he’s been hired as personal chef to Newcastle United midfielder Joe Willock and he heads up to the North East every week, cooking for the former England under-21 star from Tuesday to Thursday.
Lashaun, who runs Private Dining Club, works closely with a nutritionist to ensure Willock’s diet is perfectly balanced.
And while he’s in the North East, Lashaun also gets to sample a Premier League footballer’s lifestyle having the services of his own driver and often joining his boss for a workout in his home gym.
Lashaun said: “This is literally the best job in the world. I am cooking for people in their own homes and it’s an absolute privilege.”
Since he hooked up with Izzy Brown and Tyler Roberts, he’s often contacted by top footballers on social media, the latest including Huddersfield Town’s Sorba Thomas, Josh Koroma and Naby Sarr.
Lashaun is loving his time with Joe Willock and his family. He travels to Newcastle by train and is met by a driver at the station and taken to Joe’s house. He prepares lunch and cooks his dinner and then the driver takes him to his hotel for the night.
“I speak to Joe’s nutritionist all the time,” said Lashaun. “But I don’t tell Joe everything that goes in his food. He says he’s not a fussy eater, he just knows what he likes.”
Joe has breakfast at the football club but Lashaun also prepares him shakes and healthy protein snacks.
“The brief from the nutritionist now is that he needs to put some weight on,” added Lashaun. “He’s a healthy weight but he just needs to bulk up a bit.”
Lashaun learned his trade at Huddersfield Caribbean restaurant Discovery Bay and describes his cooking style as “fusion” though he’s heavily influenced by Caribbean flavours.
While Lashaun wants to build up his footballing clientele through the week, he’s much in demand for private barbecues on a weekend and he’s fully booked now until September.
He’s in the process of recruiting a couple of chefs so he can continue to grow the business. He’s also talking to Tyler Roberts about a joint venture providing food at festivals and is planning a meal box home delivery service too.
In May he’s going to film some podcasts called ‘Cooking with…’ as he chats with a famous footballer while cooking their favourite meal.
Lashaun is aiming to build his brand and wants more top-level footballers as clients. He’s a Manchester United fan and would love to sign up a couple of Old Trafford stars.
“When I started out as a chef it was all about learning in a kitchen and then going on to open your own restaurant but there are so many other ways to follow your passion,” said Lashaun.
“You don’t have to open a restaurant and wait for the customers to come to you and put your neck on the line. There are other ways to do it.”
Private Dining Club can be found on Instagram.
