Gbubemi Fregene, better known as Chef Fregz, is a

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jour ...

chef A chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term ''chef de cuisine'' (), the director or head of a kitche ...

Early life and education

Gbubemi Fregene was born in Abeokuta. He grew up in

Benin City Benin City is the capital and largest city of Edo State, Edo State, Nigeria. It is the fourth-largest city in Nigeria according to the 2006 census, after Lagos, Kano (city), Kano, and Ibadan, with a population estimate of about 3,500,000 as of ...

. He studied Industrial relations and human resource management at

Covenant University Covenant may refer to: Religion * Covenant (religion), a formal alliance or agreement made by God with a religious community or with humanity in general ** Covenant (biblical), in the Hebrew Bible ** Covenant in Mormonism, a sacred agreement b ...

and cuisine at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute, France.

Career

Gbubemi started his culinary internships at Oakwood Park and Protea Hotel in 2004 and continued at Oleander Lodge in 2007, while studying. In 2009, he started his own catering service called DVARD Catering Service. Fregene left Nigeria in early 2010 to study at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, earning a Diploma in Cuisine. At the institute, he learned classical French cooking techniques while also experiencing diverse cultural influences from different countries. After completing his studies at Le Cordon Bleu, he worked as an intern at the Market Restaurant, Paris from November 2010 till February 2011. Fregene was retained in the restaurant after the internship period. Gbubemi returned to Nigeria and built his brand focusing on attracting Nigerian youths by appealing to their passion for new and creative cooking. In order to meet the need for young chefs to communicate and connect with the upwardly mobile crowd which he serviced, he promoted his brand by hosting regularly summer style cookouts called ''Chef Fregz™'' Special. Gbubemi has also been a judge in cooking competitions in Nigeria, including Knorr Taste Quest.

Personal life

He married Kemi Lala Akindoju in September 2018 and had a son in February 2021.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fregz, Chef Living people 20th-century births Nigerian chefs Businesspeople from Abeokuta 21st-century Nigerian businesspeople Covenant University alumni Alumni of Le Cordon Bleu Nigerian television chefs Year of birth missing (living people) Male chefs