After earning my bachelor's degree from VCU, I gained the opportunity to pursue and expand my culinary career at Postbellum. With a few years of dedication, I worked up to sous chef. In my spare time I began barbecuing competitively with my family. After several years and category wins in both amateur and professional competitions, the folks at Postbellum took notice of my skill set and began to work on the concept for Oak & Apple. When I am not in front of a smoker or in a kitchen casing fresh sausages, you can find me in a competitive minotaur wrestling ring or giving extreme high fives to random passersby. My mom calls me Katelyn, but when I'm in front of the Ole Hickory smoker, I'll only answer to "Big Daddy Kat".