An Irish Woman, A Texan and a Whole Lot of Chef Made Candles
Did you know that Ireland is full of tremendous storytellers? Not including myself, of course.
I’d love to pride myself on my storytelling abilities, but I reckon there’s a bit more blarney in mine than in the likes of the myths and legends from my motherland. That said, let me tell you a little story anyway. An Irish woman (that’s me) somehow found herself in Colorado, of all places, and met a Texas cowboy.
The name’s Murphree now, and yes, it sounds more Irish than my own birth name (Byrne). How’s that for logic? But let me tell you, the spelling's a bit off—thank you, Ellis Island! I’m sure the original Murphy arrived, got asked their name, said it in a thick Cork or South Dublin accent, and after three or four attempts, the weary dumbfounded officer probably said, "Feck it!" and wrote it down as Murphree. Makes perfect sense, right? Throw in a bit of annoyance for having to repeat it or a few drinks, and Sláinte, a name is forever changed.
But I digress—though I must say, the thought of my own made-up Murphree history does make me giggle!
From chef’s knives to Chef Made candle wicks—because why not?
Now, I am married to an incredible talent named Bryce Murphree. Yes, the crazy chef with a hankering for unique scents. And let me tell you, the man is a walking contradiction of sorts. You see, he’s not your classically trained, Le Cordon Bleu-type chef. Nope, Bryce is one of those annoyingly talented people who reads a ridiculous number of cookbooks (we own over 200—yes, refined down from 500) and learns by osmosis. He comes from a family full of creative minds, and his kitchen journey started at the Hard Rock Café in Aspen in the '90s—where a 'knife fight' got the chef fired and Bryce started his culinary journey! Everyone’s gotta start somewhere, right?
Fine Dining and food critics—now we’re serving up 5-Star Chef made candle scents!
From there, Bryce found himself working his magic in the banquet kitchen at the Little Nell Hotel to running a kitchen on Aspen Mountain, known as The Aspen Mountain Club. If you’ve never been, it’s a high-end slice of culinary heaven. I could drop a name or two here on the people he fed, but you might just think that is more blarney. Back before 'made from scratch' was a trendy phrase thrown around, the Little Nell and Aspen Mountain Club had been doing it all along. Bryce soaked it up like a sponge, learning from seasoned chefs, refining his already impressive palate, and devouring cookbooks like they were a five-course meal.
"Chef Bryce Murphree pairs unusual flavors in delightful dishes at travis restaurant in lakeway." ~ Dale Rice: Austin-American Statesman
Who knew cowboy boots and Irish blarney made such a fine pair?
In Aspen, he climbed the ranks to become an executive chef, eventually landing us in Dallas, then to Austin with hotels, fancy wine dinners and food critics writing about him. That is until my job landed us back in the Big D. Sometimes it is good to stop and smell the coffee... the life of a professional chef is crazy, exhausting and eats away at time with family, friends and loved ones!
And what does a mad genius chef do when he’s got some time on his hands? Well, you know what they say about idle hands being the devil's work! Like Einstein himself, this crazy genius turned his attention to making candles—and even started creating his own oils for them.
He cooks, I light candles—together we set the mood.
You see, I may or may not have had a slight addiction to candles. I’ll neither confirm nor deny Bryce’s claims, but let’s just say I wasn’t bankrupting us with my candle purchases... yet. Growing up in an Irish household that constantly smelled of my mum’s baking—fresh bread, biscuits, cakes—you develop a nose for good scents. So Bryce, being the clever fella he is, thought, "Why not make candles with scents we love?" I might have given him a laundry list of likes and dislikes (...no black soot, long-lasting, authentic flavors, natural wicks ) but we’ll call that gentle guidance.
And so, Gluttony Candles was born. Six years later, we’ve been featured in everything from Voyage to D Magazine, and even had a little segment on Good Morning Texas. JR Ewing, eat your heart out!
I came for the cowboy, stayed for the candles.
So, from a small-town Irish lass who once thought a night in meant a cup of tea and an episode of Dallas (remember the theme tune), to living in Dallas itself, to a life with a Texan cowboy who thinks 'craic' is something you find in a wall... well, let’s just say, it’s been a ride! It’s funny how life comes full circle, don’t you think?
Who needs a leprechaun’s gold when you’ve got a Texas chef?
They say the Irish have all the luck, but I reckon I used mine up finding Bryce. Sure, who else
would put up with my endless list of candle dos and dont's, to scent requests and still manages to create the quality candles that make our home smell like heaven? So, here’s to more candles, more craic, and many more years of me pretending to be in charge!
Sláinte, y’all!
Don’t be shy!
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Excellent read. Very interested to see Maggie's blog writing develop. If she could be more succinct, and save us time reading the fecking thing that would be brilliant. Also missing a little of her sarcasm 🤔ðŸ¤