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CHEF CLAY WHITE

Chef, Caterer, Veteran & Adrenaline Junkie

There are two sides to bravery for Clay White. The first is the kind that only the strongest sign up for, the kind that puts one in harm’s way to right a wrong or impose some justice. That was Clay on the front lines in Operation Desert Storm, engaging in life-or-death battles with opposing special forces.

Then there’s the other side – the fun kind of bravery (to some), a “hold my beer” mentality that again takes strength but also takes the right amount of crazy. That’s Clay, too. He’s raced motorcycles, skated with Stacy Peralta and Tony Hawk, gone bungee jumping and surfed the shark-infested waters of California’s Red Triangle.

But perhaps the bravest thing about Clay is how passionately he pursued his lifelong dream of becoming a chef. Growing up in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Clay was spoiled by the amazing cooking of his grandmother, a second-generation Scottish immigrant and proud member of Clan Maclaren.

After leaving the army (and helping tear down the Berlin Wall in 1989, no big deal), Clay self-taught himself around the kitchen, eventually working his way up to becoming an in-home private chef, a caterer and a chef in the commercial kitchens near his home in Pinehurst, NC.

He’s now cooking or working 80/hours a week, and doing much of it in a few of his favorite Sport Kilts – the Maclaren, the Army or the Black Utility kilt. “It’s almost like a chef coat was made to accent a kilt,” Clay says.

Chef Clay is a big believer in tradition and is proud of his Scottish heritage. In addition to traveling and catering Scottish festivals around the country, Clay is an avid golfer and is currently learning how to play the bagpipes (he’s even dreaming of a custom formal kilt for his first performance). Lest you think he’s settling down at all, Clay is also working on opening his own restaurant, because, as he says, “I need to have organized chaos.”

Where others see activities too dangerous or dreams too big, Clay White sees opportunities right in his bravery wheelhouse. Bravery comes in many forms, and they all found their way into Clay.

If you’d like book a private meal, catering event, or cooking class with Chef Clay, please visit chefclay.com.

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US Army Tartan

MacLaren Tartan