Famous Culinarian

By: Terell Spencer
Culinary Institute of Virginia Essentials for Success
June 27, 2017

Glenn Lyman, husband and father of two from Ohio, is a sports junky and the best Chef you’ve never heard of. He may not be a household name to you, but he’s often talked about in the homes of your favorite athletes. Chef Lyman gravitated towards cooking at a young age, and showed off his skills to anyone willing to taste. Glenn could be found cooking for his high school classmates before events or even on the porches of his alma mater, University of Dayton. Even though he had such a passion for Culinary Arts, Glenn found himself as a salesman working for his brother’s industrial supplies company in Cleveland. 

Lyman wasn’t fulfilled through his job, and cooking was a stress reliever after a long day at a job that didn’t inspire him (Wile, 2016). Over time, Glenn taught himself how to maneuver in the kitchen and polished his skills to the point where his peers recommended a career change. After deep thought and encouraging words from his wife Linda, Glenn finally pursued his dream job as a Chef. As time passed and Glenn continued to build a reputation for his new business Home Plate Personal Chef Service (Wile, 2016, p. 2) he was presented with an opportunity that would change his life forever. This opportunity was for Chef Lyman to cook a pregame meal for an up and coming rookie Phenom, which was scheduled to take place the same evening. That star however happens to be recognized worldwide as King (Lebron James). The meal turned out to be a success, and Chef Lyman was hired immediately as Lebron James personal Chef. This professional relationship turned into a close friendship, personally assisting the star for 5 years before Lebron moved to Miami. 

His wife Linda was offered a new job position, which would lead to the Lyman family moving to Charlotte, NC. Through praise from Lebron’s camp, and word of mouth, “G” nicknamed by James himself, began to Glenn Lyman 3 circulate through the sports world and followed him to his new home. Chef Lyman is well known for his cooking styles and continues to build his reputation as grill/barbecue master but is most recognized for his “clean” versions of food that athletes like to over indulge themselves in. Glenn takes pride in being able to create an eye-grabbing, though tasteful meal that maintains the essential nutrients athletes need to reach their desired goal. As a former athlete, Chef Glenn has centered his business on a “healthful” approach when it comes to cooking. 

Lyman understands how food effects daily production and what is imperative an athlete fuels his/her bodies with. Chef Lyman prepares various meals for his clients, tailoring to their taste buds and their workload. Being a personal Chef causes Glenn to be very detailed in his work, this includes ingredients, timing and quantity of the meals. Chef’s clients keep him busy with a variety of tasks, with some of the oddest requests. Whether creating an 8,000 calorie diet for Olympian Ryan Lochte or preparing a whole slaughtered hog for retired Giants receiver Joe Jurevicious. No matter the job, Glenn is always in high demand. His relationship with his first major client (Lebron), and his skills opened doors for him to work with many other High-Profile Athletes. Those athletes are Steve Smith Sr., Jeff Gordon, Jon Beason and Josh Norman to name a few (Glenn Lyman, nd). As Chef Glenn’s name continues to spread, so does his demand for business. Not only does he own his personal chef business now known as GCooks, Glenn is also involved in other avenues of business as well. Lyman is the official Chef for Lynx Grills and an Ambassador for BJ’s Wholesale Club, Calphalon RSP Nutrition, Vitamax and 6-Pack Fitness . 

I chose Chef Lyman for my subject simply due to his job scope. Not only is he a Chef, but he gets to personally work and build relationships with the some of the most elite athletes in the world. My passion for sports, cooking, and nutrition can all be combined into one career and this is proof that my dream is possible. For an individual to teach himself how to cook and then be recognized globally as a Chef is amazing and inspiring. This Chef has the perfect job to me, and hopefully I’ll position myself to achieve similar heights.