Meet Your Chef: Isidro Lamas Madera
Photos by John Abrams
34 Years and Counting…
Starting his career in restaurants in Denver, Isidro came to work each day excited to see patrons devour his creations. Those customers are what motivated him to put out great food. Isidro eventually left restaurants to cook in a different kind of kitchen when he met Ready Foods founder Luis Abarca.
His first day at Ready Foods was in 1986, close to 34 years ago. We estimate Isidro has cooked more than 2,376,000 pounds of beans over the years. Isidro has seen and been a part of so much of the growth and changes at Ready Foods. He was there when we were just making tortillas, green chile and beans in a little building off of Colfax. It was only him and seven other employees. Now as a company of almost 300, he still loves cooking for the same reason as when he was working in a restaurant, to see customers enjoying his food. Isidro’s favorite days are when clients come in to cook a new item with him. That first taste, when a customer’s eyes light up or when he is out to eat and tastes a Ready Foods item being served in a local restaurant, is why he works hard to create great recipes and delicious food in the Ready Foods kettles.
His favorite thing to cook at Ready Foods?
“I don’t really have any favorites, but I love making the new recipes when they come out,” Isidro says. It’s the new items that keep things exciting and challenging for him.
In an age where most people bounce around to 12 or more new jobs in their lifetime, Isidro is an anomaly, staying in one place for so long.
He simply admits, “I like what I do. I want to work hard for my family.”
Isidro has horses and land he cares for, a dry sense of humor that will put anyone at ease, and a love for cooking for his family. He’s committed to them, to his career, to each kettle of food he makes and to his coworkers in the Ready Foods kitchen. That green chile you love? Those beans or that cheese sauce you have on your menu? Isidro loves eating them too.
Questions or feedback?
