Meet Beth Caughran | Personal Chef and Climber

We had the good fortune of connecting with Beth Caughran and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Beth, career-wise, where do you want to be in the end?
I’m very much a generalist and a lateral thinker with a wide array of professional and personal interests. So, I don’t really have an end-goal for a “career” per se; I am seeking a state of non-career where I can tie all of those things together. I acknowledge that that is not a very cogent response! Ultimately, I’m working toward a goal of tying together food, nutrition, food systems, education, justice, and community. So, I still don’t know what that looks like!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Beth’s Delicious Experience, LLC, has been a process over a decade in the making. All I knew was I wanted to do something with food. I worked in high-volume scratch catering for 7 years, and left it earlier than I had planned. I’ve always felt like working for someone else, whose vision I didn’t share, and probably someone I haven’t met in an office in a place I’ve never been, is a really alienating experience. I’ve always wanted to work for myself and work for things I care about.

Right now, I’m contracted as a private chef for the Catamount Center in Woodland Park, CO. That’s winding down until class starts again in August 2022. Ultimately I am a micro-catering company of one, with a special emphasis on creating delicious food for those on restricted diets (allergens, etc.). It’s very niche. I like that I get to learn a lot of different things, even if some of them aren’t all that fun (bookkeeping). I’m expanding into nutritional coaching and meal preparation services in Q2 2022.

I had to overcome (still a process!) a lot of mental, rather than tangible, hurdles. Killing the inner critic. This was the hardest part for me and I actually went to a therapist about it. My new mantra is, “don’t let perfect become the enemy of good.” That’s the way toward progress for me.

I’m really privileged that I get to slowly let my story unfold.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
You gotta have a Manitou Day. Soaking at SunWater Spa, and dinner at Swirl or Crystal Park Cantina. Hike Red Mountain! Probably you were expecting the Incline, but I’m not a fan. Too crowded.

For the Springs, burgers at the Green Line Grill, best burgs in town! Coffee and toast at Loyal. For upscale, I really love Track 10. First Friday at the Cottonwood Center for the Arts!

Of course, climbing in some of my secret spots, followed by a tailgate meal prepared by myself!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband, Craig, who grounds me every day. I feel so effortlessly loved by him, it is profound and life-changing.

My “framily,” Angie, Wendell, Tim, Jen, Jess, and Chris, who have all been my tireless advocates, best pals, and sacred companions in my insane life adventure.

Julie Francis, Howard Drossman, and the staff, stewards, and fellows of the Catamount Center. You are all amazing warriors for change.

Instagram: @chefbethcaughran