2020 Chef Ambassadors
When it comes to moving the needle for the state's foodways, no collaboration has and more impact than the South Carolina Chef Ambassadors program, a partnership between South Carolina Parks, Recreati...
Chef Marcus Shell shares his journey to sobriety
I am Marcus Shell, executive chef at 39 Rue de Jean in Charleston and a current Chef Ambassador for South Carolina. Who I am now has surpassed the dream I had of running a restaurant when I was young and naive—a dream I believed was never attainable. I mean, I always cooked. I went to Le Cordon Bleu in Boston, one of the best culinary schools in the country. The path was there. I learned about restaurant kitchens the old-school way—enraged chefs throwing sauté pans, getting stuck on cleaning duty, scrubbing walls for hours because I didn’t stay sober long enough to pull my weight on the line. I knew I had to do better. I wanted to do better.
I had to leave Boston to find what better looked like. The misconception that many people have is I left Boston to come cook in Charleston, which is an AWESOME place to be, but I didn’t have the focus to even consider working in Charleston. No; the truth is I landed in Greenwood, South Carolina, to go to rehab. I wasn’t even cooking when I left Boston. I loved cheffing, but alcohol and drugs took my spark for creativity and left me undependable, and I found myself no longer working in a kitchen, living on friends’ futons and couch surfing, living off the means of others.
The final straw was the weekend I went AWOL. The owner of the moving company I worked for and who provided housing for me, who also happened to be a really good friend of mine, decided he was done with my bullshit, and I either had to choose to get sober or get out of his house.
So I chose sobriety.
I headed to Greenwood without any other option, really. I had alienated everyone who cared about me; I was a drunk. I created chaos everywhere I went and was a danger to myself and people around me.
Without any other options, and the support of my friends and Herren Project, I was shipped off to Oaks Recovery in Greenwood. Herren Project was founded in 2011 by former professional basketball player Chris Herren who has been in long-term recovery since August 1, 2008. It is a national nonprofit organization providing free resources and support for the treatment, recovery and prevention of substance use disorders.
I spent 34 months at Oaks Recovery facility, and as of March 17, 2018, I have been sober. I was 31 years old. I’m one of the lucky ones who found sobriety before it ruined my life completely. I was young. The way I see it, everything I have today is gone as soon as I drink. The life I have built is gone with a sip.
I was living in transitional housing in Greenwood when I met Geoff Rhyne, who hired me to be a line cook at a local assisted living facility where he was the director of hospitality. Geoff saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself; he took me under his wing and continued to teach me and push me to reach my full potential. I had never really had a mentor before Geoff. He invited me to work on events for his brand, Red Clay Hot Sauce, and introduced me to Charleston.
Working with him has been a true blessing. It brought me back to the place I love to be—cooking. The act of cooking is my jam. It is the most peaceful my brain ever is. The food I make is me telling people who I am. I’m complex, multi-dimensional, intricate. I kept sober, I kept showing up, and I got to where I am running a restaurant—further than I ever dreamed of being. I continuously reflect on how I’ve gotten to being an executive chef and a Chef Ambassador. The life I have today is so full of experiences that I couldn’t imagine not being a part of.
I want to help people like people helped me. I want people to decide to do more. Mentorship is important to me. As a chef, I realize I am respected, and I’m trusted to lead. If someone wants to be successful in this world, and doesn’t know where to start, I will help them. I want to help those who aren’t typically successful in the culinary space. If I can do it, so can they. The recognition I’ve received, I wonder if I’ve earned it. The reality is, though, if I wasn’t good enough, it wouldn’t be happening. The logical side of me can recognize that. This is bigger than me. I want to be a James Beard award winner, but I also want to be a good human.
People often ask me what's next for me. I don't really know yet. But I do know that I love cooking and I want to make people happy with my food. Cooking is my passion, and it brings me joy. I am grateful to be sober and to be able to pursue my passion.
My journey to sobriety has saved my career and my life. I am no longer defined by my addiction, but by the flavors on my plate and the joy I find in every moment.
I’m more than a recovering addict and alcoholic. And this isn’t a success story—it’s a story about my journey. I’m just a regular dude, from New Bedford, Massachusetts, who always wanted to be an executive chef. With the help of love, some of it tough, compassion and a helping hand along the way, I have remained sober and achieved goals I never thought possible. I have become the man my late mother was always proud of, even when she had nothing to be proud about.
2020 Chef Ambassadors
When it comes to moving the needle for the state's foodways, no collaboration has and more impact than the South...
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