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For Ryan Givens, aka Chef Wood, the plan was to rap, get a music deal and conquer the world of entertainment. He did all that—just not in the way you’d expect.
“I had been rapping, I want to say, from 13 to 21. I got a deal with Universal Music Group at 19, right out of high school,” says the St. Louis, Missouri, native. “I actually went to college trying to further my fan base once I got the small [music] deal. But, I got myself into a situation where I got caught with a little weed and ended up getting on probation…I didn’t have to do any jail time; it was a horrible slap on the wrist, but that pretty much made me lose my [music] deal.”
A Career Turning Point
Though he still wanted to pursue a career in entertainment, Wood’s probation officer gave him the choice of either going back to school or getting a job because, as he was told, “rap is not paying your bills.”
While trying to figure out what to do, Wood happened upon a television commercial featuring a culinary school. “I thought this might be some type of sign,” he recalls. “I always felt me and God have a buddy relationship. So I said, ‘Is this what you’re telling me to do?’ And the next day, I looked up in the phone book the nearest culinary school that was around. I spent a whole day visiting the culinary school to see what they had to offer. Mind you, at that time, I couldn’t boil water.”
Coming from a family that celebrates with food, Wood admits he was blessed with many memorable meals—thanks mainly to his grandmother, who created magic in the kitchen with her cooking.
“I was so spoiled by her food. I knew what good food tastes like, but me, I wasn’t too much past [making] Ramen noodles,” he admits. So, he went off to find a school that would get his culinary skills up to speed.
“I ended up finding the most ‘bougie’ culinary school I could find in Missouri…and I went in there with open arms.”
Wood excelled in his classes at L’École Culinaire, eventually earning his culinary arts degree and his associate degree in restaurant management.
Chef to the Stars
After graduating from culinary school, the newly minted chef re-connected with music industry friends and joined them on tour—as a personal chef.
“It was never my thing to work in a fast-paced restaurant,” says Wood. Over time, word spread about his excellent reputation and skills for delivering delicious meals paired with amazing presentation and his star-studded clientele grew.
Some of the celebrities who’ve enjoyed Chef Wood’s culinary creations include Kanye West, Jermaine Dupri, Ray J, Keri Hilson, Naturi Naughton and Marsai Martin, just to name a few.
Likewise, the culinary star has created food presentations for clients such as BET, Essence Fest and major music labels (Sony, Atlantic Records, Universal Music Group and Def Jam). He is currently the official chef for The Color Purple star Danielle Brooks.
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Healthy Meal Inspiration for The Dub Club
Today, the classically trained chef calls Atlanta, Georgia, his home and cites his love for fitness as the inspiration for his latest venture. While spending time at the gym, Wood realized the importance of meal prepping.
“Meal prep is from the [gym] training society to get ready for competitions,” he explains. “I had a trainer who couldn’t cook at all. So we bartered and I said, ‘I will make your meal prep.’ But after a while, I said, ‘I’m going to teach you how to do it yourself.’”
The pair would train for an hour at the gym and then head to the local grocery store to get something to eat. “We always said we’re not going to spend any more than a ‘dub.’ That was our little joke—a ‘dub’ meaning another word for $20,” relates Wood.
The concept of creating a healthy meal for under $20 intrigued Wood, and the idea eventually morphed into the Dub Club, a streaming series now in its second season airing on Cam Kirk’s You42 network.
The show features Wood, who splits co-hosting duties with popular Atlanta-based trainer Coach Khory for half the episodes and with a roster of college students for the other half of the show.
“Even though everyone needs to save a dub, I realized when I was in college, a dub really meant something…I started using college kids [as co-hosts] because I figured they were the ones that could really understand how to stretch that dub,” says the former musician turned celebrity chef and Dub Club founder.
He’s Got The Receipts
In each episode of the Dub Club, Chef Wood focuses on creating a speedy and healthy meal costing under $20, including tax—with the grocery receipt shown to prove the point. “These Dub Club meals are between 2-4 servings,” attests the chef, citing dishes like arroz con pollo (chicken and rice), jambalaya, goulash, and for vegans, a seared tofu sandwich served with sprouts as delicious meal examples that each came in under the $20 budget.
“The key is keeping it simple,” says the chef who can deliver a Dub Club meal averaging around $15 (and that includes fruit for dessert).
“When you’re going to the grocery store, you play the outside aisles, the perimeter, that’s where you’ll find vegetables, proteins, dairy and breads…As long as you get yourself a protein, a starch and a vegetable, not only will it be healthy, but nine out of ten times you’re going to cut your costs.”
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Health is Wealth
As for who the Dub Club is for, Wood shares that he’s casting a big net to include college students and anyone who wants to eat healthy meals but might be on a fixed budget: families, single moms and dads.
“Health is wealth,” affirms Chef Wood. “Understanding what you bought, what you’re cooking and putting inside your body, that’s extremely important.”
In a world where both time and money are becoming even more precious, Chef Wood’s Dub Club just might be able to show us how to save on both.
Catch streaming episodes of season 2 of the Dub Club on You42 beginning Tuesday, February 13. Follow Chef Wood on Instagram @itslekitchen.
