Chef Chris Murray Interviewed by Bold Journey

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Chris Murray Jan 28, 2025 0 comments

Here's an interview Chef Chris did with Bold Journey on The Gourmet Animal.

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chris Murray . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Chris, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
When I struck out on my own as a chef, new to the game in LA, and kind of scratching this itch I’d had since childhood, having moved from 15 years in entertainment, I believed in my talents, but my ego wasn’t fully onboard and brought up a lot of fear and doubt. To fully step in and accept my talents and my path was indeed challenging. I questioned whether others would look me up online and see a large gap in my cooking resume. However, in a few short months, I was able to truly overcome the imposter by cooking everyday, sinking into the process, and enjoying the deep learning that occurs when you are working 90 hour weeks in a kitchen. It all came back and I dropped the ego for learning. All of this eventually allowed me to get rid of the fear around my lack of Michelin stars, or my lack of a successful LA restaurant, or some TV show host that I never was. It was really the process of cooking that gave me the confidence in myself. It didn’t really come from guests or reviews. Just deep down I really knew I belonged because I loved it and FUCK YES was seemingly everywhere. And I started to trust my taste more and more. Which led to more creativity and going against the grain. Trusting my hands, my execution and my taste. I guess I would call all of this coming into balance with my soul’s purpose. Nourishing people in a creative, healthy, and honest way is really how I overcame any imposter syndrome.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I have just launched my passion project, The Gourmet Animal, a gourmet, farm-to-door meal delivery with a custom, seasonal menu each and every week in Los Angeles. This food is insane and takes a lot of passion to produce every week. But food I believe will help humans realize their potential and tap them into that will help their wild side, transform their body (with a little effort, of course), and get mentally shredded. Heck, we’ll even settle for being that sublimely delicious set of crutches for your personal transformation.

I’ve been on this journey for the past 16 months, and I can say unequivocally that an investment in your primary medicine (FOOD) is worth every penny down the line. During this transformation, I lost 30 lbs, got in the best shape of my life, and got way more connected to myself through my food. We want to help clients connect more to themselves through our joyful, delicious, and clean food delivered to their door.

During this whole process of personal growth, I began to completely overhaul my cooking. I soon found that I could make better, cleaner food without the ingredients that I had grown accustomed to. Next came deep dives into metabolic health and sourcing; seed oils, grass-fed meats, heritage breeding, cholesterol, and sugar substitutions. I kept asking “why?” we had created such an industrialized food system. The limitations of eating clean weren’t limitations at all, they actually gave my cooking a focus from which to experiment and thrive. I transitioned all of my meal prep clients to this style of eating with rave reviews. There’s a lot of misinformation out there and “studies” backed by the Food Industrial Complex, which makes getting the truth of the matter confusing.

Today, as I am about to launch The Gourmet Animal, I reflect on my journey—from an aspiring writer/actor to a fulfilled chef. Each transition and challenge shaped me by peeling a layer off of the onion, and what I’ve been left with is a deep sense of purpose. One that actually embraces the beauty of change and transition and one that trusts the mission. This trust has propelled me forward, leading to a life where creativity and novelty converge in the kitchen. 

All of which underscores the profound impact of dietary change on ANY life. For me, it revitalized my relationships, purpose, and personal growth. I hope that sharing this story inspires you to heed your inner voice, embracing tough moments as catalysts for personal fulfillment and growth. In my humble opinion, radical, sustained change starts on the end of your fork. And The Gourmet Animal is there to provide the food for that transformation.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Just love the process. Take criticism with a grain of salt. Be honest and if you’re not completely ready to jump into belief, have patience with yourself and wait until you feel the call and there is no doubt in your body. It will tell you if and when you’re ready to jump through the fear.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
The Gourmet Animal is all about collaboration. From farmers to meat producers, new technology in regenerative practices and in spreading the word that we exist. Symbiotic relationships and community building are key to our success, and we want to create an open culture where <i>people over profit </i>really is our mission. It’s what we’re here on Earth to do anyway.

That said, we’re looking for talent chefs, photographers, videographers, editors, media buyers, meat programs, farms and any business that wants to get us away from Big Food and help people realize that food is medicine and that you can eat MEAT and be incredibly Alive.

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