In this episode of Fugitive Chefs, host Furqan sits down with Sormeh, a private chef and supper club host from Iran, whose journey shows that you don’t need a restaurant to create magic through food.
Sormeh’s story begins in her teenage kitchen — where cooking became her safe space and escape — and evolves into building one of Iran’s first supper clubs, introducing a new culture of dining built on intimacy, storytelling, and community.
What makes her path so powerful is how she turned fear into fuel — from hosting her first dinners at a loss just to build trust, to inspiring a whole new wave of supper clubs across Iran.
We talk about:
🍽️ How food became healing — and later, purpose.
🏠 Building community and culture through supper clubs.
💡 Pricing, trust, and the challenges of creating outside systems.
🌍 Redefining what it means to be a “chef” without a restaurant.
📱 The role of social media in scaling a one-person creative business.
💬 Why success for her means guests leaving with a memory, not just a flavor.
If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to build a life in food on your own terms — this episode is proof that creativity thrives beyond the pass.
🎧 Fugitive Chefs is your window into alternative culinary careers and bold food innovation. New episodes every Tuesday.
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🎙️ Hosted by Furqan from the Fugitive Chefs Podcast
📸 Furqan’s Instagram: https://bit.ly/4dtiyTv
🎧 Podcast Instagram: https://bit.ly/43ndATO
🎵 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3F6j25A
🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/43vBtbT
🔗 Connect with Sormeh
Instagram: @sormehthegourmet
Chapters
00:00 The Journey into Culinary Arts
00:27 Cultural Perspectives on Cooking in Iran
05:03 The Concept of Supper Clubs
09:21 Challenges and Pricing in Supper Clubs
14:13 Social Media's Role in Culinary Success
18:28 Defining Success Beyond Traditional Metrics
22:53 Advice for Aspiring Chefs
27:12 Closing Thoughts and Reflections