Officially branded in October of 2018, Poppa Schmitty’s Halal Platters and Catering has been serving Williamsport, Pennsylvania and surrounding areas.

Owner, Chef Schmitty gained an interest in cooking at an early as he spent a lot of time with his mom as she served family, friends, daycare programs, and even foster children. “My uncle Cookie on my dad’s side sparked my interest in barbecue. He made a smoker out of an old hotel food cart and I was captivated by it at the youngest of age”, Chef Schmitty said.

What made you incorporate Halal platters in the concept?

The whole motivation behind the halal platter concept was to shed light on the benefits of halal food and erase some of the negative stigma attach the to method of obtaining the meat. Proving to both Muslims and non-Muslims that halal food is sustainable, humane, and capitalizes on the use and support local farmers for fresh products and last but not least can still be insanely delicious without the use of pork or alcohol based ingredients… food, brings communities together in way that no other medium in Art can… Everyone loves to eat … !!! It’s through our similarities that we can resolve conflicts and judge mental attitudes and assumptions about one another and well ….POPPA SCHMITTY’S is my way of reflecting that.

Can you describe your experience being self taught?

Ahhhh man…. it was trying… I beat myself up a lot … my perfectionism definitely crossed over from my past history of being a animator. But honestly that perfect bite …. the bite that makes me go WHOA is soooooo worth it… I watched and I listened I paid attention to what popular YouTubers and tv chefs said was important when honing your skills and continue to learn with each cooking experience. FOOD IS PICKY!!! It stalls it breaks … but just like machines it will only be as good the one making it. I’m not shooting for a Michelin Star for culinary accomplishment…. So for my goals and terms of success I wouldn’t say culinary school is necessary… however if I was looking to take it to that level of professionalism YES it’s a necessity!!!

Chef Schmitty has noted that he has not been alone on this journey He credits his mother, aunt, sister, four children, and son in law for lending a helping hand when in need of assistance.

Next up for Poppa Schmitty’s Halal Platters and Catering is an establishment. A place and/or food truck. “Something that’s an eye in the community and not just social media”, Chef Schmitty replied. The culinary professional already has the business plan developed and says that it’s just a matter of time before it takes shape.

I wanna get this message out to the people and not just be a blimp on the social network.

Stay tuned for what’s next and follow Poppa Schmitty’s Halal Platters and Catering on Instagram by clicking here.