Executive Chef Ashley Olson talked herself out of culinary school twice before leaving her corporate career to start a personal chef business.
Now, Olson and her team of chefs, servers and a delivery driver at Southern with a French Twist aim to help the Central Texas community connect at the dinner table.
What’s in a name
Years before she launched her business, Olson bought the domain name southernwithafrenchtwist.com. She had a feeling she was going to do something with it one day.
“It stems from a deeper connection to both how people in France and very much in Europe make gathering a part of their daily life,” Olson said. “It's frequent, it's delicious, it's very much a community-heavy environment, and it's very much that way in the American South, which is where I grew up.”
Olseon grew up in Kentucky and received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Louisville College of Business. She graduated from the Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Austin at the beginning of the pandemic.
Her love for hospitality and the dinner table connections she grew up with inspired her to start Southern with a French Twist in November 2020. She said she hopes to build dining experiences where people can “take a deep breath and connect with others.”
“You just leave so much more fulfilled,” Olson said. “Not just physically from eating well, but emotionally. Connecting with that person over that meal, I just think, is a life-changing moment. I want to build a company that creates those environments throughout our community.”
What they offer
Southern with a French Twist provides private dinner parties, weekly personal chef services, private inflight catering and elevated catering services at small-scale events like cocktail parties, brunches and baby showers.
Olson said dinner parties are their most popular service, and that she’s passionate about allowing hosts to be guests at their own parties.
“I love being able to see somebody who loves welcoming people into their home and giving them the gift of letting them trust us to host on their behalf," Olson said. "They can just be a guest and enjoy being around their friends and family. I think that's the most rewarding thing.”
Olson said the blend of Southern and French cuisines is “elevated but approachable,” so the client and guests can relax and enjoy the meal.
Southern with a French Twist serves the Hill Country corridor from North San Antonio to Austin. Olson said they also travel to hunting ranches in South and West Texas.
