About Renby
No one in my family knew their way around the kitchen: my mother had an uncanny ability to ruin instant oatmeal. My grandmother, bless her soul, used to serve a flavorless boiled chicken, broccoli, and spinach soup every night. As for my late aunt’s cooking abilities–probably non-existent, if the burnt walls and ceiling around her stove were any indication. Nonetheless, I developed an interest in food. The transformation process behind cooking had always been something that intrigued me, whether it was ramen going from bag to bowl, or store-bought cookie dough going from frozen to fresh-baked goodness. It was magic.
At the beginning of my freshman year of college, I began working as a farmers market manager for the City of Chicago. Although I took the job for the easy work and decent pay, it unexpectedly fueled my passion for food. At the end of every shift, I scurried home with bags full of free produce from the growers I had befriended, eager to experiment in the kitchen.
Cut to the present day. I’ve learned to cook a little better, discovered my inclination toward baking, and moved 2000 miles west of home. Aside from my full-time job as a cybersecurity consultant with a large IT firm, I’ve worked my way through a few kitchens, most recently San Francisco’s Sour Flour and New York’s wd~50. In August 2010 I founded Renby’s Sugar Shoppe, a bakery that specializes recreating gluten-free versions of old favorites. I’m devoted to making my passion my life, and I can’t wait to see where this path takes me.
