STL Pot Chef founder Arica Avery has learned a lot about cooking with cannabis while hosting events and competitions centered on the culinary arts.
The Blazed and Infused BBQ Royale competition on July 6, for instance, was not your average barbecue cookoff. A lineup of pitmasters and canna pros curated by STL Pot Chef brought their best cannabis-infused dishes to Handlebar in The Grove, where 200 guests sampled the fare and voted on the winners through a customized online app. Contestants traveled from as far as Kansas City—including one of the winners, Magnum Opus.
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STL Pot Chef’s next event—the Munchie Market at Little Bevo (4751 Morgan Ford) on August 31—will have a very different vibe, with pay-as-you-go options, ranging from gourmet meals to bite-size snacks, as well as a DJ and vendor booths.
Avery organizes these and other events to showcase the artistry that goes into creating an elevating culinary experience. SLM spoke with the full-time photographer and part-time canna chef about what led her to start STL Pot Chef and how to get the most out of its events.
What’s your culinary background? I come from a family of cooks. My grandfather cooked in the Navy and Marine Corps. My mom is a retired home economics teacher. My dad is known for his grilling and barbecuing. He’s done it for more than 40 years. We have a competitive spirit in my family, so we challenge each other on different dishes.
How did that lead into STL Pot Chef? I started growing and cooking with cannabis during [the pandemic]. I got to know the plants and the components they offer. I wanted to share the health and wellness benefits of cannabis—and I wanted to find an interesting way to get everyone involved and bring out the competitive spirit that shows who we are as Missourians.
What are the competitions like? I’m very particular about who chefs. Each event offers six to 12 samples. Ahead of the competition, I do a taste-testing with the chefs at the particular dosage [5 mg]. In addition, chefs need to learn the “Pot Chef” way, because people will ask about strands and dosages and how they infused the dishes. If they can’t explain the basics, this is not the situation for them.
What about the typical cannabis background of attendees? Our events have gathered support from a lot of different types of people. It has been amazing to watch how it has grown—everyone from grandmothers to people who just turned 21, all sharing the same experience and getting out of their comfort zones. That’s part of the amazing thing about this community, that people who look nothing like me have so much in common when it comes to other things. We get to geek out together.
How does the competition aspect work in practice? With it involving cannabis, not a lot of platforms allow us to be there. We have our own voting platform because what we do is so unique. Even though we’re not selling cannabis, it’s challenging. And finding venues that accept cannabis connoisseurs has been a challenge, too. But we have great, supportive venue partners for 2025.
Tell us about some of your favorite infused dishes. My go-to dishes are comfort foods. My favorite dishes to elevate a dinner party are pastas, such as infused shrimp fettuccine or spinach Alfredo for those who don’t do meat. Those two have helped me understand flavor profiles.
In what ways? I like citrusy terpenes like sativa, but hosting parties allowed me to get an understanding of other people’s tolerances and their terp profiles. And many people don’t know their terp profiles. [Terpenes are the chemical compounds in cannabis that contribute to its unique aromas.]
How did that impact your cooking? I have brought the dosage down some over the years. When people are trying to get elevated with the culinary arts, they want to taste every ingredient but the weed.
And what about the Munchie Market? I started the Munchie Market last year for those who were scared to compete but still wanted to showcase their small businesses. We always include non-infused foods, too. We have a dab bar, and people can learn about terps because the vendors have more expertise than a typical pop-up.
What else would you like people to know about STL Pot Chef events? All who have good vibes are welcome. People who want to volunteer can connect with me via DM or email. And we are always looking for partnerships, so we can grow.
This isn’t your full-time career, so what motivates you to continue? I want to put St. Louis on the forefront of marrying the culinary arts with cannabis in a classy way.
