Hi, I’m Elaine Zelker — the heart, lens, and voice behind Yes, Chef! Behind the Apron™️.

I didn’t set out to start a movement.
I simply listened.

I spent the last few years photographing chefs — capturing their creativity, their craft, their joy. But behind the aprons and the smiles, I began to see something no plate could hide: exhaustion… isolation… pressure that never seemed to let up.

Chefs who poured themselves into everyone else had nothing left for themselves.

They told me their stories quietly, almost apologetically.

Some talked about burnout.
Some whispered about anxiety.
Some admitted they hadn’t taken a real day off in years.

Some talked about "not wanting to be here anymore."

And too many of them said the same heartbreaking thing:

“I thought I was the only one.”

That sentence is the moment this movement was born.

Let’s share their stories and build something unforgettable — one plate, one photo, one story at a time.

WHY I STARTED

I realized that chefs — the people who feed the world — were starving for something themselves:

connection, care, and a safe place to be human.

I wanted to create a space where chefs didn’t have to pretend.
Where they could lay down the armor.
Where they could be seen beyond the plate.

And so Yes, Chef! Behind the Apron™️ began — as art, yes, but more importantly, as truth-telling.

I photographed chefs as they really are: vulnerable, funny, strong, broken, brilliant, complicated, raw — human.

The images were powerful, but what happened next was bigger.

WHAT I WITNESSED

The portraits didn’t just resonate… they cracked something open.

Chefs saw themselves in each other’s stories. They realized they weren’t alone. Their struggles weren’t isolated. Their battles weren’t weaknesses — they were shared experiences in an industry built on grit and survival.

And in that recognition, something shifted:
shame turned into solidarity.

That shift is what turned a project into a mission.

THE SILENT STRUGGLES

Chefs are some of the strongest people I’ve ever known, but the truth is brutal:

They miss holidays with their families.
They push through physical pain.
They work through grief.
They serve joy while hiding their own suffering.
They’re expected to be the heartbeat of hospitality — with no room for their own emotional needs.

And far too many struggle with anxiety, depression, addiction, loneliness… silently.

They feed the world, but they are rarely fed emotionally, mentally, or spiritually.

This movement is here to change that.

THE RETREAT BREAKTHROUGHS

Then came the retreats.

Chefs arrived carrying invisible weight — exhaustion, grief, shame, fear, stories they’d never spoken aloud.

And they walked out:

lighter
connected
supported
understood
and with hope

I watched chefs who had never met each other hug like family by the end of the day.
I watched eyes soften.
Walls drop.
Healing begin.

The real human impact.

This movement is not hypothetical.
It’s not inspirational fluff.
It’s real humans, real stories, real healing.

Chefs who finally feel seen.
Chefs who feel less alone.
Chefs who ask for help — and get it.
Chefs who show up to retreats and let their guard down for the first time in years.
Chefs who tell me, “If this existed sooner… things might have been different.”

And chefs who now want to help other chefs — because healing spreads.

These retreats aren’t events.
They are lifelines.

They’re proof that when chefs are given space to be human, they rise.

THE MOVEMENT

This is Yes, Chef! Behind the Apron™️:

A place where chefs are cared for, not consumed.
Where humor and heartbreak can coexist.
Where vulnerability is strength.
Where stories become bridges.
Where art becomes healing.
Where connection becomes survival.
And where every chef finally feels what they’ve given to the world:

Love, support, and a safe place to land.

Your generosity today becomes someone’s lifeline tomorrow.

Support the Mission

Hi there,

Thank you for your interest in joining the Yes, Chef! Behind the Apron™️ movement!

We’re excited to connect with you and will be in touch soon with next steps. Together, we can celebrate chefs, support mental wellness, and make a meaningful impact in our community.

If you have any questions in the meantime, feel free to reach out.

Thank you for your support!

— Elaine
Founder & Photographer
Yes, Chef! Behind the Apron™️

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Thank You for Getting Involved!

Hi there,

Thank you for your interest in joining the Yes, Chef! Behind the Apron™️ movement!

We’re excited to connect with you and will be in touch soon with next steps. Together, we can celebrate chefs, support mental wellness, and make a meaningful impact in our community.

If you have any questions in the meantime, feel free to reach out.

Thank you for your support!

— Elaine
Founder & Photographer
Yes, Chef! Behind the Apron™️

View Submission

Let’s share their stories and build something unforgettable — one plate, one photo, one story at a time.

WHY I STARTED

I realized that chefs — the people who feed the world — were starving for something themselves:

connection, care, and a safe place to be human.

WHAT I WITNESSED

The portraits didn’t just resonate… they cracked something open.

THE SILENT STRUGGLES

THE RETREAT BREAKTHROUGHS

Then came the retreats.

The real human impact.

THE MOVEMENT

This is Yes, Chef! Behind the Apron™️:

Your generosity today becomes someone’s lifeline tomorrow.

Thank You for Getting Involved!

Thank You for Getting Involved!

Some Behind the Scenes

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