Today we’d like to introduce you to Aran Goldstein.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Aran. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve been enamored with cooking for as long as I can remember. As a little kid, I loved watching Martin Yan, Julia Child and other chefs cook on television. I gravitated towards the kitchen at dinner time, always curious what my parents were up to. After college, I knew I needed to dive into the field and went to New England Culinary Institute up in Montpelier, VT. I dreamt of a career that would allow me to travel and learn about food and people. I’m thrilled to say that I have been living this dream for over a decade now. I’ve been fortunate to have worked in great kitchens for amazing chefs from Boston and New York, to Portugal and Italy and even in China.
For a long time I’ve known that teaching others to cook and bringing people together would be at the forefront of my own business someday. In the fall, I took the leap and started Noah’s Table to do just that.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has been a battle finding a brick and mortar. There have been a few spaces that I thought would become the home of Noah’s Table that fell through at the eleventh hour. I also decided to start a business just after our son, Rafael was born. This has been a challenge, but also an amazing gift. I’ve been able to make my own schedule while spending much more time with my new best friend than I ever could have before. My family, friends and colleagues have been so supportive in spreading the word. So much of the growth this year has been purely word of mouth.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the NOAH’S TABLE story. Tell us more about the business.
The idea came from the story of Noah and the Arc. I like to remember the story of Noah and the flood as one of preservation. Indeed, our diversity is something to embrace and preserve. “As for you take for yourself some of all food that is edible, and gather it to yourself and it shall be for food for you and for them.” Genesis 6:21. It wasn’t just about the food, but in preserving all of the food. That arc was preserving all the cultures of the world. This is a concept worth living and celebrating. I like to see food as something that has the power to both connect us and heal us. If we could just spend more time in each other’s kitchens and at each other’s tables, I know we would find we share much more in common than perhaps we ever thought.
The focus of Noah’s table is education. I teach cooking lessons, for groups and individuals. You can find me popping up around Worcester and beyond teaching hands-on classes and doing events and dinners. I also do a lot of catering all over Mass.
I am proud to have taken this leap and to have followed my heart. I really wanted to start a business that would help others thrive. I want bring a greater sense of community to cooking. I want to make it joyful and accessible. Beyond the teaching, I get excited about collaborating with other chefs and entrepreneurs and sharing their personal stories through food. Ultimately, I want people to be excited about cooking and learning and engaging with food more and more. Cooking in and of itself is a doorway to living well and to nourishing oneself, whether it be through delicious and nutritious meals or the mere act of cooking for oneself and others.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I grew up in a family of seven here in Worcester. Our parents inspired in all of us a love of and appreciation for diversity, and food was so often the vehicle for learning. My parents cooked a ton, but we also ate out a lot in Worcester. As little kids we would eat Indian, Korean, Armenian, Thai, Italian, Greek, Chinese, and Lebanese and so much more. This was on top of the Eastern European Jewish fare that played a vital role. Little did I know then, that growing up this way, would help define how I love to cook, explore the whole globe, and bring different people together around a table.
Contact Info:
- Website: noahstable.co
- Phone: 5088783216
- Email: info@noahstable.co
- Instagram: noahstable
- Facebook: noahstable
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