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December 8, 2025
NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN – From intimate dinners to larger gatherings, Owner Joseph Bending said The Wandering Chef is redefining dining at home – bringing restaurant-quality meals directly to clients’ tables.
Though it was recently recognized as Business of the Year by the Phillips Area Chamber of Commerce, Bending said the experience is not confined to the Northwoods.
“I’ve gone all the way over to the Fox Valley, up to Presque Isle, Lac du Flambeau, Eagle River and anywhere in between,” he said.
Bending said The Wandering Chef is a private chef service anyone can enjoy for a flat rate, plus necessary travel expenses.
“I’ve met some awesome people – doctors, ex-CEOs and just common folk who want to get their friends together and have a good time,” he said.
Bending said he has more than two decades of experience as a professional chef – currently employed by the global company, Barry Wehmiller.
“They’re a $4 billion company out of St. Louis,” he said. “They have 120 companies, worldwide, 12,000 employees and one of the companies they own is in Phillips, called BW Paper Systems.”
After acquiring BW Paper Systems, Bending said Barry Wehmiller established its hospitality division, where he was hired as an executive chef.
“We have seven properties, 35 beds and a commercial kitchen in a beautiful lodge right on Long Lake in Phillips,” he said. “We cater to salesmen who bring customers here for the business, corporate retreats, international guests and anything in between.”
Drawing on his years of cooking experience, Bending said he was inspired last May to start The Wandering Chef as a “side hustle.”
“I wanted to test the waters and give the community a different dining option,” he said. “So, I started The Wandering Chef LLC, got some insurance and thought, ‘Well, if I make $1,000 to cover my expenses, I’ll be pretty happy.’ But, to my surprise, my phone never stopped ringing.”
Initially expecting to cater roughly 10 events a year, Bending said he’s been excited to, so far, accept seven to eight jobs a month.
“Instead of going out to a brick-and-mortar [restaurant], people can use their dining room table for what [it’s] meant to be used for – not folding laundry or paying bills, but to share love, food, conversation and memories,” he said.
Customized menus, easy experience
As a private chef, Bending said he’ll “work with clients on customized menus” for their gatherings.
“I charge a flat rate fee – depending on how many people and the distance away – they pay for the groceries and they invite [their guests],” he said.
Because he’s operating out of his individual clients’ home kitchens, Bending said he’s able to keep costs and overhead low for both himself and his clients.
“I’m prepping everything on site at your location – not in one area and moving it to the next,” he said. “[In that case], you would need a commercial kitchen and licensing.”
Bending said clients can choose between shopping for themselves or simply paying the grocery bill after he collects all the necessary ingredients.
“I can do the shopping, but [they pay] just the receipt price,” he said. “It’s your food.”
Bending said The Wandering Chef offers a more personalized experience for those looking to entertain in their own home, sans the hassle of actually planning and hosting a meal.
“I bring all my own dishes, plates, cooking equipment, napkins, silverware and glasses, and then I take them and clean them all at home,” he said. “There’s literally nothing you have to do other than maybe shut the lights off at the end.”
Currently operating as a “one-man band,” Bending said for larger events, he’ll have his daughter assist him.
“Sometimes my daughter comes with if it’s a little bit [of a] bigger group… [but] organization is key,” he said. “You learn that fast, and you have to think through the whole dinner before it even happens.”
His professional experience as an executive chef, Bending said, proved very useful in the initial days of operating The Wandering Chef.
“I started cooking when I was 16, and then I stuck with it,” he said. “I’m now 43, so that’s all I’ve ever done – you have to be good at something.”
Though he “dabbles in a little bit of everything,” Bending said his favorite thing to do when cooking is to incorporate Northwoods cuisine into his dishes – especially when serving those outside of the area.
“If people aren’t from northern Wisconsin, [I like to] feature either fish from Lake Superior or Midwest beef and cranberries – regional [goods],” he said. “I just ask people what their preference is… and it really all depends on their budget.”
Bending said how the food is served is also customizable to his clientele.
“Some people want family style, some people want a buffet, I’ve done micro weddings, I’ve done bachelorette parties, [etc.],” he said. “I’m just happy to work with whatever they want.”
‘Deep roots,’ community recognition
Moving to Phillips at 18 years old, Bending said he bought his grandparents’ farm right out of high school and has lived there ever since.
“By the time I was 19… I had a mortgage, a full-time job and I was going three days a week to Nicolet College’s culinary arts program, which is an hour away from here,” he said.
With deep roots in Phillips – “my kids are the fifth generation to live on my family’s property” – Bending said receiving the chamber’s Business of the Year award was a special honor.
“I have a strong love for it here,” he said. “If we all give a little, nobody has to give a lot. We have to take care of each other, and that’s what this community has done time and time again. It’s good to be part of that, and it’s good to feel seen.”
The Business of the Year award, Bending said, affirms both the work he’s done with The Wandering Chef and in his community as a whole.
“With a little extra income [from The Wandering Chef], I like to give back to local programs or clubs and give back to the community that [has] supported me for a lifetime,” he said.
Visit The Wandering Chef’s Facebook page for more.
