Best Served HIGH is a Q & A show where we focus on Hospitality Industry Good Health. Join Chef Jensen Cummings every Sunday as he talks to industry leaders about mental health, physical health, wellness, nutrition and surviving the hospitality industry. On this episode of Best Served HIGH our host Jensen Cummings sits down with Jon Hinman of Hinman's Bakery, Denver, CO, to discuss mental health and substance abuse in the culinary industry and his organization CHOW which works to support people in the industry who are struggling.

  Top Five Takeaways 

1. In the hospitality industry, there are many people who suffer from mental health issues and substance abuse but no one talks about it. John’s organization CHOW is dedicated to having the conversation.

 2. John’s past with mental health issues which lead to alcoholism and going to rehab twice helped educate his decision to create CHOW with Alexandra Palmerton. 

3. Having DUIs and passing out in the kitchen are rites of passage and things to be proud of in the culinary industry. This culture needs to change.  

4. “We come into the kitchen with wounds on our hearts that we don’t know how to deal with so we bandage them. For me it was alcohol, for other people it’s other stuff. Then suddenly you relate more to the bandage than to the wound.”

 5. CHOW meets on Zoom on Monday nights at 6 pm, Fridays at 6 pm, and Wednesdays at 2:30 pm