Exploring all versions of herself to inspire her cooking is where Eva Che thrives. As she tells Schön!, “creating different altered egos and living through their variation is who I am. Its story, narrative and value really resonate with me.” Che, a private chef and founder of the dining project CheHub, grew up cooking – learning all of the basics from her father, a professional chef raised in the Guangdong province of China.
Since embarking on her career journey, she has worked with some of the most illustrious brands and clients, including Soho House, Saint Laurent, and COS. Now, she’s happy to share a new partnership with Telekom Electronic Beats x A Better Mistake, exploring her various ‘Altered Egos’.
In conversation with Schön!, Che touches on her journey to becoming a chef, catering high-profile events, and her work with Telekom Electronic Beats x A Better Mistake.
How long have you been a chef and when did you know you wanted to be a chef?
I’ve only become a professional chef in the last three years or so, to be honest. My mother is a great cook and my father is a professional chef and was head chef in his very own restaurant, so to say cooking is in my blood is an understatement. So, my training has basically been from birth to now! Even though I had these skills and they just seemed natural to me, I never really considered this career path until recently, but since I made that decision, I’ve not looked back.
Speaking about your father being a chef, what culinary skills did you learn from him?
I would say that almost everything I’ve learned until now. I knew a lot, just from watching both my parents when they cooked for me in my childhood. But, as well as all the recipes and know-how, my father taught me how to hold the knife, how to sharpen it, how to cut ingredients depending on the dish and also about the timing and how the kitchens in professional restaurants work. Even with all this knowledge handed down, I still feel I have a lot to learn.
Can you tell Schön! a bit about CheHub and CheHub Collective?
CheHub is a dining project and CheHub Collective is my brand with my apron collection. CheHub was first, and it’s the main part of what me and my team do. Now, we do home dining experiences, full catering services, and events with local wine bars, but I am also actively seeking a cool little space, which was the first idea.
When you’re creating bespoke dining experiences for brands like Soho House Group, Saint Laurent, and COS, how do they differ and why?
Every event I produce is totally unique and sort of dives into a new and unique alter ego. From the specific menu, I create to the decoration of the space. So, every dinner is different from the last – or the next. Some partners prefer a full formal dinner with everyone seated at a huge table, while others prefer something more casual. At Soho House, I was lucky enough to have access to their full kitchen, while at some other events, I may be presenting my food in a store or an even more unconventional venue. So, it’s always different, but I really enjoy the challenge of this, and it’s fun for me to find a way to solve some of these difficulties in a creative way.
What is your favourite part about working with different brands?
I would have to say, simply, the variation. I’ve been lucky enough to work for one of the world’s biggest hospitality brands, Soho House, but also present my food to the clients of Saint Laurent or create collaboration with A Better Mistake and music leads, Telekom Electronic Beats. I love to travel, meet different people and feed them so, for me, I feel blessed to not be stuck in one particular groove with where and how I cook.
Touching on exciting brand partnerships, what can you tell Schön! about teaming up with Telekom Electronic Beats x A Better Mistake for the release of their capsule collection?
I am excited! Creating different altered egos and living through their variation is who I am. Its story, narrative and value really resonate with me. A Better Mistake does, in general, what I wear: super light bowling shirts, t-shirts with perfect-length sleeves and high-quality material, and scarves, which you can wear however you want. Telekom Electronic Beats creates all these pieces with fuchsia magenta details and gaming reference elements. I personally also really love the avatar approach that gives one the chance to dive into different egos.
Calling you multifaceted would be an understatement. How do you manage to maintain all of these ‘altered egos’?
I’ve always had a lot of different interests from fashion to art to music to food. So, whilst I now spend most of my time creating via the kitchen, everything else in my life always manages to sneak in as an influence in one way or another.
What can we expect to see from you in the future?
You will find out soon…
To learn more about Eva Che, follow her on Instagram. The Telekom Electronic Beats x A Better Mistake ‘Altered Egos’ capsule collection is available now at www.abettermistake.com.
photography. Chad McLean
talent. Eva Che
featuring. Telekom Electronic Beats x A Better Mistake ‘Altered Egos’
hair & make up. Augustina Valiaugaite
location. Barbican Estate, London
interview. Amber Louise
