The Freelance Chef, LLC

10/29/2023

10/27/2023

Chef Mike’s Gourmet bring Gluten Free eating into the 21st Century

Dear Gastronaught’s.
While recuperating, I have not been idle. I have been developing a range of “Gluten Free” items.
As most people who follow a gluten free diet know, finding food that tastes good, as well being gluten is hard to achieve.
Thanks to dear friends Mike & Donna, Kathy Robinson, and a few other guinea pigs, we have devised items that can compete with items containing gluten.
There have been many disasters. Our garbage can has become a fan of some of our experiments.
We have a list of all our “Gluten Free” posted here. We do make custom made products too.
Since the closure of our store we have also been making weekly and bi-weekly meal plans for some of our clients.
Everything is homemade, and vacuum sealed to give a 2–3-week shelf life in the fridge.
Again, we offer “Gluten Free”, “Nut Free”, “Vegetarian”, “Vegan”, “Dairy Free”, “Paleo”, and “Fodmap diets”.
Chef Mike makes Breakfast Sandwiches using Bagels & biscuits, Onion Rolls, and Croissants.
Bagels and Biscuits can be made gluten free.
We make Omeletes with a variety of fillings: Meats (Homemade), Veggies, and Cheeses.
We even developed Biscuits and Gravy (Gluten Free).
The best Oatmeal (Porridge) to the Brits to be served this side of the pond!
Lobster Bisque, Clam Chowder, and many many soup & stews, even Chicken & Dumplings
With the Holidays coming up our “Gluten Free” customers have not been forgotten. No longer are they the poor relation….lol
Pasta dishes such as Homemade Ravioli, Manicotti, Mac & Cheese, Lasagna (Veggie or meat based)
We have even developed Gluten Free Pierogi’s. Very hard to tell the difference between regular and GF.
GF Pot Pies, Crab Cakes, Stuffings, Curry’s, Veggie or Meat Moussaka
and the list goes on.
Hey Chef Mike!!! I hear you say….
“We want dessert too!!”
Chef Mike’s Gourmet has you covered.
Mincemeat Pies, Christmas Pudding, Bakewell Tarts, Lemon Tarts, Treacle tart, Scottish Shortbread, Empie Cookies, Fresh Fruit Pies and Crepes.
As mentioned, we do offer meal plans. We offer your food in Vacuum sealed individual bags, with heating instructions on each bag. If you have never heard of “Sous Vide”, please look it up. It is the easiest way to have your Breakfast, Lunch, or dinner ready when you want it without using a microwave or your stove. Contact me for more information. We can package them in plastic containers too.
I hear the next question…..”There’s Hello Fresh and Factor who offer this service.”
Some of these you have to cook yourself, for the hungry person, you need 2 plus servings to satisfy your appetite… No one can ever say Chef Mike’s Gourmet servings are small 😊
The Cost: I know you want to know that too.
Chef Mike does not do cheap products. Everything he and his team make is hand crafted. This takes time, patience, and 45 years of experience to master.
Breakfasts range from $5-9.50 per serving.
Lunch or Dinner range from $13-19.00 a serving which would include a starch and a veggie
Salads individually wrapped with homemade croutons $5-7.50 per serving.
We do offer in- home cooking to. Please contact us for more details.
We will be adding online ordering for meal plans in the very near future, so please contact us.

Many thanks for your time.
Chef Mike Jay

Office: 810-588-6962
Cell: 313-515-5060
[email protected]

10/16/2023

Hello fans of Chef Mike’s Gourmet.
I inadvertently gave the wrong link to our on-line Holiday offerings in our recent post.
Here is the link to see our offerings, and order.
https://www.chefmikesgourmet.com/retail-and-mail-order
While I have your attention, I am making our famous English sausage rolls for someone, and wondered if any of you lovely people would want some too.
We will deliver them to you in packs of 6 or 12.
$45.00 for 6 or $90.00 for 12 with free delivery
Follow the link below to order yours
https://www.chefmikesgourmet.com/store/products/sausage-rolls

For “Personal chef, and “Catering options” it is best to book early, as dates are being reserved quickly.
Please call or email us for more information or booking availability.
Office phone: 810-588-6962
Cell: 313-515-5060
Email: [email protected]
We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Chef Mike 😊

04/27/2023

Hey folks.
A lot has happened since my last posting.
Thursday 13th April i had surgery on my lower back again. what was to have been a 2-2.5 hour surgery ended up being 7 hours plus. All the old metal work was removed, and a brand new scaffolding system , bone and marrow grafts.
Also, Big Betty and trailer have gone for ever. It was a bittersweet moment, but it had to be done.
Prior to the surgery, getting my head and heart in unison about keeping or disposing of Betty never really matched. One was always stronger, and heart strings being pulled both directions.
I will still be offering Personal chef services, and making products to order.
The email, phone number are still the same as before.
It's going to take me a little while longer to get my strength back, but Chef Mike is Back

03/20/2023

Hello, this is Chef Mike...We did plan to resurrect our food truck, but i just found out that i have to have major back surgery again on April 13th.....They have to remove all the previous hardware L1-S1, and redo with new hardware plus additional scaffolding through the Sacroiliac and pelvic area... This will lay me up for 6-9 months.... I have very sadly come to the conclusion that my body can't continue working 14-18 hours a day, making homemade food for you. It's time to hang up my chef whites........ I will however make anything you wish for freezer, sous vide, or weekly meal plans... I am trying to cope with this, but i am a fighter. Thanks for your patronage

02/12/2023

Dear Gastronaught’ s, friends and customers of Chef Mike’s Gourmet.
It is with great pleasure that we can announce that we will have the food truck “Big Betty” up and running in time for Lent.
Obviously, as you are all aware, even though Big Betty is large, it is much smaller than the store.
Our menu will have to be reduced, but we will still be doing our famous Fish & chips, Indian food.
However, on Fridays, we will concentrate Mainly on Fish & seafood.
Our Friday menu (During Lent) will be:
Fish (cod) & Chips with slaw & homemade tartar
Fish Tacos
Grilled Salmon, Truffle Mash, & Buttered corn.
Shrimp Mac & cheese
Shrimp Tacos
Shrimp & Grits
Shrimp Curry & Pilau Rice
Fallafels, Pita, Tzatziki, & Hummus
Chicken Tenders
Pulled Pork
Sausage Rolls
Scotch Eggs
Truffle Mac
Mac & Cheese
Truffle Mash
Mashed Potatoes
Truffle Fries
Garlic Parm Fries
French Fries
Buttered Corn

We are still looking for suitable places to put our truck.
Minimal requirements….. Running water and a non GFI 110 electrical outlet
Follow us on Facebook/chefmikesgourmet to see where we will be.
810-588-6962 or my cell 313-515-5060
[email protected]

01/27/2023

So an elderly Italian man living alone in New Jersey wanted to plant his annual tomato garden, but it was very difficult work, since the ground was hard. His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:

Dear Vincent,
I am feeling pretty sad, because it looks like I won’t be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I’m just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over.. I know you would be happy to dig the plot for me, like in the old days.
Love, Papa

A few days later he received a letter from his son.

Dear Pop,
Don’t dig up that garden. That’s where the bodies are buried.
Love,
Vinnie

At 4 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left. That same day the old man received another letter from his son.

Dear Pop,
Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That’s the best I could do under the circumstances.
Love you,
😊

12/23/2022

MICHAEL JAY
THE FREELANCE CHEF LLC.
Also
Chef Mike’s Gourmet
5756 Whitmore Lake Road
Brighton. MI. 48116
Office:810-588-6962
Cell: 313-515-5060
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.developmentchef.com
www.chefmikesgourmet.com

December 23rd, 2022

Dear friends, family and customers of Chef Mike’s Gourmet.

We want to go out with a big bang!!

For our last day operating in the store, we need to reduce our stock drastically, so we are offering a “One Day Mega Sale”. 35% OFF Everything

Help us to help you fill up on Indian and British food.

You may not be able to get our curries for a while.
Christmas Puddings, Minced tarts, Bakewell Tarts, Empire cookies we have lots.

We are making a huge batch of Sausage Rolls, Scotch Eggs, Scotch Pies etc.

The best thing, we are offering everything at a 35% discount.

We only have Sole left for Fish & Chips.
We have our BBQ St Louis Ribs
All Shrimp dishes

We will be open from 9am until the last customers come, or we run out of food. Highly unlikely but come and fill up your freezer.

Please don’t be afraid to contact me with any requests. We will always do our best to accommodate you.

We will be at the store until Saturday

I want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for your custom, your loyalty, and the friendship everyone has shown to us here at Chef Mike’s Gourmet.

Many thanks

Michael Jay
The Freelance Chef, LLC

Gourmet carryout, gifts, ready to eat foods and delivery food. Food truck, catering and personal chef

12/22/2022

MICHAEL JAY
THE FREELANCE CHEF LLC.
Also
Chef Mike’s Gourmet
5756 Whitmore Lake Road
Brighton. MI. 48116
Office:810-588-6962
Cell: 313-515-5060
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.developmentchef.com
www.chefmikesgourmet.com

December 21st, 2022

Dear friends, family and customers of Chef Mike’s Gourmet.

You might want to make some time in your busy schedules to visit us on Saturday.

To be announced on Friday Morning, we will be making an announcement you do not want to miss.
I can’t say any more just yet, but rest assured, it’s worth waiting for…lol

Please don’t be afraid to contact me with any requests. We will always do our best to accommodate you.

We will be at the store until Saturday

I want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for your custom, your loyalty, and the friendship everyone has shown to us here at Chef Mike’s Gourmet.

Many thanks

Michael Jay
The Freelance Chef, LLC

Gourmet carryout, gifts, ready to eat foods and delivery food. Food truck, catering and personal chef

12/21/2022

MICHAEL JAY
THE FREELANCE CHEF LLC.
Also
Chef Mike’s Gourmet
5756 Whitmore Lake Road
Brighton. MI. 48116
Office:810-588-6962
Cell: 313-515-5060
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.developmentchef.com
www.chefmikesgourmet.com

December 17th, 2022

Dear friends, family and customers of Chef Mike’s Gourmet.
I write this with tears in my eyes, great sadness, and a very heavy heart.

The Freelance Chef has been in business for 39 years, with 2023 being our 40th anniversary.

Probably foolishly I wanted to open a store to highlight the cuisine from my motherland and the ethnic foods that Great Britain has to offer

I leased our store with our food truck “Big Betty” parked outside. I could tell from the reviews, and the repeat customers that British and Indian food was really needed in Brighton and beyond.

The economy has added another victim.

The powers that be, and a lot of foolish people have caused us to have to close our store.

The good news is, that you can’t keep a good man down…lol

You, our very valued customers will still be able to get your fix of British & Indian food.
We are looking for a suitable place to put “Big Betty”. If anyone has an idea, please contact me.

Please don’t be afraid to contact me with any requests. We will always do our best to accommodate you.

We will be at the store until Saturday if anyone would like to come by to say hello or good riddance…lol

I want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for your custom, your loyalty, and the friendship everyone has shown to us here at Chef Mike’s Gourmet.

Many thanks

Michael Jay
The Freelance Chef, LLC

Gourmet carryout, gifts, ready to eat foods and delivery food. Food truck, catering and personal chef

12/18/2022

🦌

12/17/2022

12/04/2022

😳🤣🤣

12/04/2022

😂

11/26/2022

Chef Mike’s Gourmet update for the Holiday Season 2022

Hello friends and customers of Chef Mike’s Gourmet.
OMG People of Brighton… You should smell the aromas coming from our kitchens today. It’s a nasal or**sm!!
We have Haddock, Plaice fillets, lobsters, and we are using 40 pounds of lobsters to make a batch of Lobster bisque. If anyone would like Freshly cooked Lobster for Christmas, please let us know, so that we can order them in time.
We have just made a new batch of Black pudding, and another 50 pounds of mincemeat for “Mince Tarts”.
Please join our mailing list and Facebook group to keep abreast of what’s new at Chef Mike’s Gourmet.
Please join our Facebook group if you haven’t already done so
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1112708739532587
https://www.facebook.com/ChefMikesGourmet
We are located at 5756 Whitmore Lake Road, Brighton, just past the entrance to Kroger. You can’t miss our huge Union Jack on the side of our truck.
Phone: 810-588-6962
Hours of operation: Tuesday through Saturday 9am – 9pm
You can email us, but I look at emails when I can: [email protected]

11/22/2022

Chef Mike’s Gourmet update for the Holiday Season 2022

Hello friends and customers of Chef Mike’s Gourmet.
OMG People of Brighton… You should smell the aromas coming from our kitchens today. It’s a nasal or**sm!!
HOT!!
If anyone has ever been to a real French Auberge, where the smell of Cassoulet is cooking in the oven, then you should come by Chef Mike’s.
Homemade duck confit, homemade sausage, smoked ham hock and chicken simmered with garlic and white beans, topped with a herb buttered crumb crust.
Also, This Black Friday, we are getting in Haddock, Plaice fillets, Live lobsters, and 40 pounds of lobsters to make a batch of Lobster bisque. If anyone would like Freshly cooked Lobster for Christmas, please let us know, so that we can order them in time.
The price of Icelandic Cod has skyrocketed. It has been high anyway since Covid, but it has just gone up by $60 a case, with no reduction expected into next year. This is primarily due to mainly Russian trawlers landing most of the Icelandic cod, and the US government putting an import ban on anything Russian.

Please join our mailing list and Facebook group to keep abreast of what’s new at Chef Mike’s Gourmet.
Please join our Facebook group if you haven’t already done so
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1112708739532587
https://www.facebook.com/ChefMikesGourmet
We are located at 5756 Whitmore Lake Road, Brighton, just past the entrance to Kroger. You can’t miss our huge Union Jack on the side of our truck.
Phone: 810-588-6962
Hours of operation: Tuesday through Saturday 9am – 9pm
You can email us, but I look at emails when I can: [email protected]

11/17/2022

Chef Mike’s Gourmet update for the Holiday Season 2022

Hello friends and customers of Chef Mike’s Gourmet.
OMG People of Brighton… You should smell the aromas coming from our kitchens today. It’s a nasal or**sm!!
HOT!!
Scotch Pies
Pork Pies
Sausage Rolls
Pasties
Forfar Bridies
Pot Pies
Empire Cookies
Bakewell Tarts
It’s a veritable cacophony of baked goods

ALSO I HAVE BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU 2022 IS IN MY BRITISH PAWS

Please join our mailing list and Facebook group to keep abreast of what’s new at Chef Mike’s Gourmet.
Please join our Facebook group if you haven’t already done so
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1112708739532587
https://www.facebook.com/ChefMikesGourmet
We are located at 5756 Whitmore Lake Road, Brighton, just past the entrance to Kroger. You can’t miss our huge Union Jack on the side of our truck.
Phone: 810-588-6962
Hours of operation: Tuesday through Saturday 9am – 9pm
You can email us, but I look at emails when I can: [email protected]

Upscale carryout & food delivery.

11/11/2022

There are still Tickets

Hello friends and customers of Chef Mike’s Gourmet.
I’m not sure if this will appeal to everyone, but I will give it a go anyway…lol
In France, on the third Thursday of November they celebrate Beaujolais Nouveau.

To celebrate this “Bonne Anniversaire” I was thinking about hosting a gourmet evening highlighting food from the Burgundy region of France.
We do not have seating here, but we can offer standing by high top tables.
My thought is to offer tables of 6 people so you can enjoy small plates cooked to order, with hopefully 2022 Beaujolais Nouveau in hand.
We could fit 5-6 tables maximum.
Obviously, we would be offering some foods that are uncommon, so an open mind and palate would be required…lol
Of course we could only do this if we got enough interest from Brighton and the surrounding area.
To reserve your space: https://www.chefmikesgourmet.com/store/products/chef-mike-s-social-event
Please join our mailing list and Facebook group to keep abreast of what’s new at Chef Mike’s Gourmet.
Please join our Facebook group if you haven’t already done so
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1112708739532587
https://www.facebook.com/ChefMikesGourmet
We are located at 5756 Whitmore Lake Road, Brighton, just past the entrance to Kroger.
Phone: 810-588-6962
Hours of operation: Tuesday through Saturday 9am – 9pm
You can email us, but I look at emails when I can: [email protected]

11/11/2022

😋