As a teenager, Humberto Perez found the best way to connect with his father was in the kitchen. Humberto’s father, a long-haul truck driver, was on the road for weeks at a time. When he returned home, each of the family’s eight children vied for time with him. So Humberto enticed him by creating dishes based on what he’d observed in the family’s kitchen over time. He learned the more he cooked, the more his father talked. So began a special tradition for the two of them.  

Young Humberto never envisioned those meals would turn into a passion and a career. He intended to study engineering but fell in love and followed his wife to Santa Barbara, where she was from. The Santa Barbara Club hired him as a prep cook and then as a gardener, putting his engineering mind to work tackling problems around the property. Soon, one of the executive chefs invited him back into the kitchen to learn everything he could. 

Humberto absorbed everything, and after serving under several executive chefs, he earned the title of head chef in 2011. He has been creating beautiful, edible works of art ever since. Not only has he mastered the art of cooking, he has also elevated the composition of each dish and infused them with his passion and creativity. 

Being an executive chef isn’t a simple job. But Chef Humberto enjoys the challenge of it and says he is blessed to be serving others. His story demonstrates formal training isn’t always necessary for a bright future.

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