How Northeast Ohio chef Eric Wells is using his faith to create magic in the kitchen

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - There’s a purpose behind Chef Eric Wells being in the kitchen.

“I do what I do to serve God and serve people, that’s all,” Wells said.

Whether it’s the excitement or experimentation.

“I always enjoy cooking! Some of the rules can be bent,” he said. “I was a little rebel when I was in culinary school.”

Chef Wells puts his heart and soul into the food he creates.

But the recipe for his success was by trial and error.

As a young college student, Chef Wells put his cooking desires on the backburner.

Instead, he wanted to pursue his true passion a journalist.

“I wanted to be a sports writer. I wanted to write for some magazines, newspapers, go to games, write articles about games and things like that,” Wells said. “I did that in college when I was at Cleveland State, and it just didn’t work out.”

Even after college, Wells' appetite for cooking wasn’t there.

As the years passed, he got married, had kids and even worked at a Fortune 500 company.

Life was seemingly good.

But that all changed with the passing of his mother, who inspired him to focus toward his true purpose.

“Always enjoy cooking with my mom. When I was young, she taught me a lot, especially around the holidays and things like that. However, she ended up getting really, really sick, and she ended up passing away. But before she passed away, one of the last things she told me was to take this gift that I’ve been blessed with to the next level,” Wells recalled.

And with that message, it sparked Wells to lean on his faith, leave his successful job and enroll in the International Culinary Arts and Sciences Institute in Chesterland.

In 2004, Chef Wells became the first African-American to graduate from the program.

“To see the impact that it has made here in a community where people know that, it’s been huge. I’m honored to have done that,” Wells said.

Two decades later, Chef Wells is a household name in Northeast Ohio.

Whether he’s on TV, hosting classes at his cooking center — Cornucopia Place in Kinsman — or serving as a private chef for athletes or business professionals, he’s fulfilling his divine purpose of filling stomachs and hearts.

“It’s faith in food. I cannot do this without my faith in God,” he said. “Using the amazing gifts that he’s blessed me with.”