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Chef Austin Yancey, CEC, CCE, PCEC

CEO, Founder, Corporate Executive Chef

Upstate, South Carolina

Also serves: Simpsonville, SC • Greenville, SC

25 years in the Industry

Chef Austin spent years training as a competitive cook while also working in various kitchens before landing his dream job at world renowned Alinea, a 3-Star Michelin restaurant in Chicago. After leaving Alinea, Chef joined the Culinary Instructor team at Le Cordon Bleu and created the schools first competition cooking club. Now as the CEO and Founder of EPC, he is on a mission to teach hospitality professionals how to create long term success; independently. Chef Austin grew up in South Carolina where he first discovered a passion for cooking in his grandmother’s kitchen. Working in restaurants throughout high school, he fell in love with the industry and decided to move to Chicago and pursue a career in culinary arts.

Private Cooking Classes Sanitation Licensing Restaurant Consulting
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Professional Background

Studied at Le Cordon Bleu
25 years in the Industry
Culinary Education & Lectures, Competitive Cooking Training
Team USA - Gold Medal; Culinary
Minute Rice; What's in Your Wok; National Champion
Educator of the Year; Career Education Corporation
Certified Executive Chef
Personal Certified Executive Chef
Certified Culinary Educator
Chef de partie; Alinea
Culinary Instructor; Le Cordon Bleu, Kendall College, Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, Food Hero
Commis; Bocuse d'Or USA Selection Competition

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Travels up to 150 miles from Greer, SC

Also serves: Simpsonville, SC • Greenville, SC

Fun Facts

Meet Chef Austin Yancey, CEC, CCE, PCEC

What do you love about the private chef lifestyle?
Work life balance is the foundation of happiness. As a private chef, I can literally do whatever I want, whenever I want, and it's quite liberating. I want to give that feeling to the world and help others improve their own lives with balance.
What do you love about cooking?
The limitless possibilities and combinations make it fun. As an expert at my craft, I have the knowledge and ability to make anything my clients want and I enjoy allowing them to be a part of the process.
Where are you from?
I'm originally from Greenville, South Carolina, where I grew up cooking in my grandmother's Southern-style, made-from-scratch kitchen. After high school, I moved to Chicago to pursue culinary arts, where I spent 17 years building my career, starting my company, meeting my wife, and starting a family. In 2022, we moved back to Greenville after kid number two came along to be closer to family and have help with the kids. Excited to be back in the Upstate and looking forward to our growth here in the area.
What's your favorite thing to cook for yourself?
I cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner for my wife and kids every single day. Occasionally, we'll go out to eat, but for the most part, I get to enjoy that every single day. If it's just me, I'm going back to my original first love - instant ramen but Chef'd up a bit. If you know, you know.
Why did you want to be a chef?
I could go on and on here but the true answer is I wanted to get out of small-town living and experience a big city but also do something that I really liked for a living. So it was the pursuit of "doing what you love for work" that drove me to be a professional. I also enjoy learning, and there's never a time where you'll stop learning in our industry, and I love that. I truly enjoy experiencing, learning about and being involved in things food and beverage related of any kind.
If you're not in the kitchen - what are some of your hobbies & interests?
I'm absolutely a golf fanatic. I live on a golf course, I coach in my spare time, and play as much as I possibly can. As a Privet Chef, I am also able to fundraise for our local non-profit The First Tee Upstate S.C. We auction off dinners at their fundraisers and raise quite a bit of money for the chapter
Why do you want to create Elite Personal Chefs aka EPC?
Another one that I could go on and on about, but simply helping my brothers and sisters in the culinary and hospitality industry live more fulfilled and happy lives. Helping other people start businesses, save for retirement, and create better work-life balance for themselves is a true mission that I am excited to work on for the rest of my life.

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