Ashley and other BDP employees regularly interact with celebrities. But they’re reticent when discussing their famous customers, whether it’s what they eat and drink, their buses or how they treat staff and crew. Celebrities value their privacy; gossiping about them is a good way to lose their business.

These days, Ashley is cooking for Springfield folks instead of big-name stars. Actually that’s been her plan for some time. Knowing her culinary capabilities and interest, I’d suggested Ashley consider cooking school after high school. She’d worked in the Sangamo Club kitchen for chef Larry Langley and manager David Radwine, and in other restaurants.

But Ashley wanted to get a degree in viticulture and oenology (grape-growing/winemaking) in New Zealand. While there, though, she realized she wanted to be a chef after all – more precisely, a caterer. During college, Ashley worked as a sous chef in a French restaurant and personal chef for a wealthy family.

Once home, she looked into culinary schools, but was discouraged by Langley and Radwine, whom she considers mentors, and other culinary types, myself included. Ashley had enough cooking knowledge; she needed experience with a top-flight caterer. Hence Big Delicious Planet.

Ashley is beginning her Springfield catering business by making omelettes to order and offering various items at the Old State Capitol Farmers Market. She’s using local ingredients whenever possible, many purchased from market vendors. Plans are in the works to offer full-service catering in the near future.

So if you’d like to reduce your “degrees of separation” from, say, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton or Jerry Seinfeld – or just have a delicious, fresh omelette – head downtown, and Ashley will prepare something for you just like she did for them!

Contact Julianne Glatz at [email protected].