Cooking with intention—and always learning.
My name is Colby Price. I’m pursuing a B.S.A. in Food Science with a Culinary Concentration at the University of Arkansas, where I explore the connection between what happens in the kitchen and why it works.
I have hands-on professional kitchen experience and have had the opportunity to work alongside highly accomplished chefs. I studied abroad in Italy and Switzerland and earned a certificate in tecniche di cucina regionale, experiences that strengthened my appreciation for ingredients, regional traditions, and thoughtful technique.
I also earned a Certificate of Proficiency in Culinary Arts at Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food. At the University of Arkansas, I’m also pursuing the Certificate of Proficiency in Brewing Science and an AI Automation Certificate alongside my bachelor’s studies.
I’m especially interested in culinary development, food science, fermentation, beverages, hospitality, and becoming a private chef. Whatever the setting, I care about thoughtful execution and making guests feel genuinely welcome. I’m continuing to learn, refine my craft, and grow as a culinary professional.
Preparing traditional tajarin pasta during culinary study in Italy.
At the BlakeSt. fire grill during service.
With the Bentoville group, chef Billy Kong, and chef Shinichiro Takagi.
A practice built in kitchens,
classrooms, and community.
My professional path has taken shape in different kinds of kitchens. At BlakeSt House, Bentoville Food Theater, and Tusk and Trotter American Brasserie, I have worked across prep, line, grill, sauté, fryer, garde manger, and made-to-order service. I have also helped train cooks, support restaurant openings, test menus, and execute private and large-scale events.
Community service is part of that story too. As a volunteer chef at Grace Chapel, I prepare and serve meals for approximately 80 community members and help lead a team of 7–8 volunteers. That experience keeps hospitality grounded in something simple and important: feeding people well and making them feel welcome.
My studies give me another way to ask questions about food. I’m learning to pair the discipline of the line—mise en place, timing, consistency, food safety, organization, and communication—with work in fermentation, sensory evaluation, product development, and quality assurance.
International study made that connection even more tangible. During an intensive 18-day culinary program in Italy’s Piedmont region, I studied regional cooking, ingredients, agriculture, wine, and the culture surrounding the table. I cooked alongside three-Michelin-star chef Enrico Crippa at Piazza Duomo and studied traditional Piedmontese cuisine with Italian chefs, including Paolo Taricco.
I’m still building the kind of culinary professional I want to become. As I continue toward private-chef work, my goal is to bring technique, scientific curiosity, calm preparation, and genuine hospitality together in experiences that feel personal and considered.
Family, music,
and Bentonville roots.
Outside the kitchen, my family is at the center of my life. The time we spend together keeps me connected to home and to the people who matter most.
Music is another important part of my story. I played saxophone for Bentonville High School and participated in the marching band as a Tiger. Those years remain a meaningful part of who I am beyond food.
The people at the center of life beyond the kitchen.
An Alan Jackson concert at Bud Walton Arena with family.
Family, school, and the community that shaped him.
A fall day at the corn maze with family.
Making time for the moments worth remembering.
The person behind
the plates.
I grew up in Bentonville with family, community, school, and music shaping the person I am today. Some of my favorite memories are the ordinary ones—showing up for one another, sharing a day together, and making time for the moments that become part of our family story.
Playing saxophone and marching as a Bentonville Tiger gave me an early sense of rhythm, discipline, and belonging. Those years taught me how much can happen when people listen to one another, work toward the same goal, and take pride in their part of something larger.
As my life has expanded through college, professional kitchens, and international study, those roots have stayed with me. They are why hospitality feels personal: a meal can bring people together, hold a memory, and make someone feel at home. That is the kind of experience I want to create as I continue growing in food science and toward becoming a private chef.
Craft
Professional technique, repetition, organization, and care in every detail.
Science
Understanding ingredients, fermentation, sensory experience, and development.
Hospitality
Creating food and experiences that make people feel considered and welcome.