Interview with Pastry Chef Katie Meddis of Rose’s Meat Market & Sweet Shop – Durham, NC

Antoinette Bruno: If you could do anything over again, what would you do differently?

Katie Meddis: I would’ve moved around more when I was younger and spent a year or so in as many kitchens as I could.

AB: What drives you to cook:

KM: Nothing makes me happier than market bags full of beautiful produce from the farmers market.

AB: What’s the biggest challenge facing your shop?

KM: Getting people to try cuts of meat that are new to them. It requires a lot of discussion about cooking procedures, but in the end a lot of people seem happy with their new meat knowledge.

AB: What were your first jobs in the industry?

KM: At Aurora in Chapel Hill when I was in high school, working garde manger. The chef, Gwen Higgins, was my first mentor.

AB: Where did you stage when  you were coming up?

KM: Woodlands, Summerville, SC Boulevard [in South Carolina], and Range in San Francisco.

AB: Who are your mentors?

KM: Gwen Higgins, Donald Barickman, Mia Ponce, Stacie Pierce, and Mary Jo Thorenson.