Chef Bob Catering, Birmingham

For more than 25 years, Chef Bob has relied on real butter, milled cake flour, and farm-fresh milk and eggs to craft each of his made-from-scratch cakes. Though baking for confectioneries and coffee shops remains his passion, Chef Bob also flexes his culinary muscles by catering special events. He once cooked a southern-style meal for more than 6,000 guests at the US Naval Academy, through which he earned a private visit to the White House and a chance to inspect its fabled collection of Grover Cleveland–shaped eggplants.

Chef Bob also regularly shares cooking tips as a guest on WBRC Fox 6, and enlivens functions with custom cakes and ice sculptures. In addition, his cooking classes and demonstrations embolden students to try their hand at kitchen fundamentals or elaborate Ginzu-knife juggling routines. Though he loves sharing his expertly made sweets, he remains committed to promoting balanced diets with his portion-controlled Fit2Eat program.