Portrait of Richard Bailey
i. Biography
Training at Ballard Hudson High School and Morris Brown College gave Richard Bailey the starting point for a long run in food service, one that moved from classroom foundations into the working pace of professional kitchens. Beginning in 1974, Bailey worked as Executive Chef and as food service director and head chef at several colleges, hotels, restaurants, and casinos in Dallas, TX; New Orleans, LA; Tuskegee, AL; Columbia, SC; Atlanta, GA; Olive Branch, MS; and Memphis, TN.
That span of roles shows the demands of scale, timing, and consistency: the kind of work that requires a chef to keep service moving while staying exact about execution. Over time, that experience settled into a style centered on fresh ingredients, clean composition, and control. Richard Bailey is owner and Executive Chef of Taste 5 Catering, a business he has led since 2016. The role draws on years spent in kitchens where presentation, pacing, and service all carry equal weight.
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Where They Are Now
Since 2016, Taste 5 Catering has been shaped by Richard Bailey’s practice of keeping service steady and the kitchen organized around the demands of the plate. As owner and Executive Chef, Bailey works from a background formed across multiple food service settings, and that range informs how the company moves from planning to execution.
Signature
Richard Bailey’s signature dishes point toward contrast handled with restraint. Beet carpaccio relies on a clean, direct approach to a familiar ingredient; hamachi tuna salad with a lemongrass vinaigrette uses brightness to keep the dish lifted; chilled peach salad with warm basil zabaglione sets cool fruit against a richer savory element; and mixed green salad with strawberries and cheese brings together familiar components in a composed format. Across the group, the work reads as careful balancing of color, texture, and temperature.
FAQ
Asked of Richard
What is Richard Bailey's current role?
Richard Bailey is Owner and Executive Chef.
Where did Richard Bailey train or study?
Richard Bailey trained at Ballard Hudson High School and Morris Brown College.
The Sunday email
Get new Made By stories every Sunday.
Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.
Recent stories
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