Danielle and Tajahi Cooke
Chef Kitchen at Freedom Street Social and Ms. Betty's Cooking | Denver
July 2022
Though Tajahi and Danielle Cooke were raised 3,000 miles apart (in Jamaica and California, respectively), their upbringings had plenty in common: they were both raised on strong community values. Tajahi’s grandmother, Betty, worked as a midwife and delivered hundreds of babies in Kingston while Danielle’s family demonstrated the value of a village becoming a safe haven for at-risk youths in the Bay Area. Tajahi moved to the States as a child, then spent years following his tour manager father on the road. He settled in Denver, and his then-girlfriend, Danielle, joined him soon after.
After years of working odd jobs, Tajahi started to cook—he spent time on the line at Mesa Verde, The Kitchen, and Next Door American Eatery, building technique and learning the importance of details. He continued to work his way through the Denver casual dining industry, becoming a lead cook at Bacon Social House in 2016, sous chef at Block & Larder in 2017, and the executive chef of Dine and Dash Group, including fast-casual concepts Biju’s Little Curry Shop and Mother Tongue in 2019.
He and Danielle launched Ms. Betty’s Cooking as a tour management company complete with customized catering, named after Tajahi’s grandmother. By 2019, Ms. Betty’s Cooking evolved into a curry powder business, which later sparked the now-annual event, Ms. Betty’s Harvest Madsgiving, serving roughly 20,000 meals in the past three years to those in need. Through the COVID-19 pandemic, Tajahi and Danielle hosted Ms. Betty’s Supper Club, inviting local chefs to collaborate with Tajahi on a ticketed tasting menu dinner to support local causes. This summer, Tajahi and Danielle will bring “The Chef’s Kitchen Residency” to Freedom Street Social food hall in Arvada, Colorado. The monthly program acts as an incubation space for young cooks, receiving a guaranteed stipend, mentorship, and a platform to develop their concepts.
