Shelby graduated Scottsdale Culinary Institute with an associate degree in Patisserie and Baking. After culinary school, she moved to Dallas where she worked at Old Hickory Steakhouse under Chef Joanne Bondy. She then moved to New York City, where she worked first at Ciano in Gramercy, then at Marea, Michael White’s two-Michelin-star restaurant. Returning to Oklahoma, Shelby worked as the executive pastry chef at The George Prime Steakhouse. Though her background is primarily in pastry, Shelby was excited when she heard a new restaurant opening in the Plaza District was searching for an executive chef. Always seeking to challenge herself, she jumped at the chance, and has been the executive chef of The Pritchard since its opening in 2016. She travels the globe as much as she can, always gathering inspiration from the amazing places and people she is fortunate enough to see and meet.

What is your idea of perfect happiness? A day spent by the ocean. That moment when you turn the corner and all at once the ocean comes into view, the cool breeze hits your face and you can smell the salty sea air. That is my version of the perfect moment.

What is the purest thing you have ever tasted? Maybe not the purest, but the first taste of something pure and as it should be was during my first trip to the Pacific Northwest when I was in middle school. I tasted a perfectly ripe, beautiful raspberry on the Oregon coast and my world shifted. I had always loved raspberries, but had never known them to be like that. They were always from the grocery store or the freezer and that’s the first time I realized that how something is treated makes a universe of difference in its outcome.

What do you love most about what you do? Watching someone’s face light up when they take the first bite of a plate you have poured your soul into.

What do you consider the most overrated ingredient? Balsamic vinegar. Let me explain. I have been to Modena, Italy. I have had real, intense, incredible balsamic vinegar as it was meant to be. I get the obsession with it. I brought all I could back with me. That being said, the overuse of “balsamic” vinegar, the mass-produced stuff that that tastes nothing like its distant Italian cousin, is just tragic.

What’s the best thing you’ve ever been taught? There is no replacement for hard work. Start from the beginning, learn everything you can from everyone around you, and work your way up. Shortcuts are overrated. When was the last time you ate out, and where? I just had dinner at a restaurant in OKC called Patrono. It’s such a gem and Jonathan Krell is putting out incredible food there.

Are there any mentors or food heroes you would like to thank? So many. Really. One in particular being Joanne Bondy (Dallas, TX). She refused to let me stay exclusively in my pastry world and I could not be more grateful for it. She taught me that there are learning opportunities wherever you look and you’re a fool if you don’t take full advantage of them.

What do you make from scratch? Almost everything in the restaurant is made from scratch. The only items we bring in are breads. While I have a baking and pastry background and have a lot of experience in baking bread, we don’t have a proper oven or enough space to make quality bread.

What would you be doing if you weren’t doing what you are doing? I left The University of Oklahoma where I was pursuing a Political Science degree to go to Culinary School. Had I followed the plan, I would have gone to law school and probably would have been in an office every day. I can’t imagine.

How do you like to spend your day off? Generally, I’m out and about spending time with friends. I love going to other restaurants to seeing what other chefs in the city are doing.

What does success mean to you? The older I get, the more I understand that success is a journey and not a destination. Am I satisfied that I have reached my ultimate career goals? Absolutely not. I have no idea what that even looks like right now. I am constantly evolving and learning and that means my goals and dreams are ever evolving too, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t felt successful throughout my career.

What is your current obsession, the thing you think about at 3am? The Pritchard is about to expand our hours to be open during the daytime. Trying to make sure we have covered every possible detail to make that expansion a success is the thing waking me up at 3am currently. What are the qualities you admire most in others? Loyalty, hard work, and drive are the things I admire most in people. I think loyalty is a completely undervalued quality.

Can you tell us something we don’t know about you? Most people are completely shocked by my taste in music. I am a really big rap and hip hop fan. If you come into my kitchen when I am in there before my staff come in, I am listening to anything from Pusha T to Nipsey Hussle and Nas. YG has all of my attention right now, although Jay-Z will always be my all-time favorite.

If you could eat only one thing today, what would it be? A glass of champagne.

Which producer or supplier really brightens your day? Our local produce supplier, Marketplace Produce, has made my job a lot easier in recent months. Their ‘make it happen’ philosophy and great attitude relieves a lot of stress.

Which word or phrases do you most overuse? Most people in my life would say I recite the sentence “I just booked another trip…” way too much. I tend to disagree.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I wish I were more organized outside of work. I wish my car wasn’t always a mess, and that I were more concerned with folding my laundry right away.

What do you think the future of food will look like? I think there will finally be much more importance placed on quality ingredients and where they came from. People are starting to really experience for themselves that the quality of food you put into your body has a huge effect on the way you feel every day.

Do you have a motto or mantra? “Take care of your people.” My dad (a retired Air Force general) taught me that. More accurately, he showed me that by example. People that worked for him have gone out of their way my entire life to tell me what an amazing boss and manager of people my dad is. He is extremely successful in his career and has never been afraid to be stern when needed, but he has always abided by that philosophy.