Chef Christopher Rayman, Founder
Chef Christopher Rayman began his career learning Classic French Culinary in upscale gourmet kitchens. Deciding not to attend culinary school, he primarily self-taught and gained invaluable experience in the restaurants that began his career. It was his time working alongside other highly-skilled chefs that shaped his experience, learning their techniques and methods, and creating his own foundation of cooking along the way. After years of working in the industry, Rayman made the decision to invest in his own health by introducing an all plant-based diet.
His classic culinary training juxtaposed with the adoption of the avant-garde, modern food movement, and forged his own style and philosophy towards food. With the personal change to a plant-based diet and healing foods, his progression and love of artisanal cheesemaking led him to experiment with non-dairy options. Using mainly cashew nuts as a base and occasionally macadamia plus coconut, Rayman borrows from traditional methods of cheesemaking to create authentic non-dairy style cheeses.
Years of testing countless recipes and preparations led Rayman to become a leader in the process of fermentation and non-dairy cheesemaking in Southern California. His presentations, along with his remarkable cheeses, led to the beginning of Sproutcraft; a highly sought after delicacy throughout the State of California and beyond. What began as a personal interest in 2010 has developed into a highly anticipated small scale operation. Small batch, organic, and handcrafted, the cheeses are a stand alone in a market of alternative-dairy options.
Christopher’s years dedicated to working as a plant-based chef in the industry has been a catalyst for providing a medium for presenting the cheeses with great style and elegance. Frequently hosting multi-course pop-up dinner gatherings, the cheeses are featured as well as Rayman’s fine culinary offerings; a great symbiotic relationship of the two. Sproutcraft is now where both worlds meet -- Sacred food and sacred life.