Jackson Free Press

Corey Ellison doesn't have a background in cooking, and she never thought it would be something she would do as a career. Yet, what started as an entry-level job waiting tables has become something Ellison takes great pride in.

Ellison was born and lived in Jackson until her family moved to Madison in 1999. She attended Madison Central High School and later enrolled at the University of Mississippi, which prompted her to move to Oxford, where she lived for six years. She got her bachelor's degree in journalism with an emphasis in public relations at Ole Miss in 2009.

Ellison returned to Jackson after graduation and began looking for work. Because she was a bartender during college and found it to be an enjoyable way to make money, Ellison looked for restaurant-related work in Jackson. She took a server position at Underground 119 (119 S. President St., 601-352-2322), but quickly grew tired of waiting tables. The turning point in her career came when her boss took notice and offered to help out.

"I had also done some server work during college, and at that point I was really hating it," Ellison says.

"My boss at Underground 119 was Tom Ramsey (now owner of La Finestra), and he saw how bored and burned out I was and started inviting me into the kitchen once a week to teach me some basic cooking skills. I really took to it, and I later moved into the kitchen full time and became the kitchen manager."

Ellison ran the kitchen at Underground 119 for about two years before she started looking for something to fully invest herself in. Then, Peter Sharp, owner of Fairview Inn, and Gary Hawkins, executive chef at 1908 Provisions (734 Fairview St., 601-948-3429), approached her about coming to 1908.

Ellison started out as a waitress for brunch and banquets before she moved into the kitchen as a pantry chef when the position opened about a month after she started in June 2013. As a pantry chef, she primarily prepared salads, appetizers, desserts and other light items.

In July this year, she was promoted to saute chef and is now in charge of restaurant's "hot line"—the station that prepares dishes requiring the use of a stovetop or saute pans.

After a year and a half of working at 1908, Ellison, 27, has come to love the variety her position affords her.

Ellison, whose nickname at the restaurant is Baby Hands, says the best thing about 1908 is cooking for banquets, receptions and other events. "There's always something different going on; it's not the same items over and over," Ellison says. "A banquet for a hundred people is different from a regular dinner service. It keeps you on your toes and is a good way to learn to evolve in a chaotic situation. I've learned a lot from Gary and am glad he trusted me enough to let me keep learning and growing at this job."