ROCKER BROS. MEAT & PROVISION - Key Persons
Alex Ageneau grew up in the Loire Valley region of France, spending most of his week ends on his grandparents organic farm, where they grew vegetables, made wine and raised pasture chicken, pigs and cows.
After graduating high school, and already passionate about food, Alex enrolled in a three years apprenticeship program to learn the art of butchering and charcuterie making under some of France's top rated butchers and became a certified French butcher and charcutier in 2001. He then started working his way up at top restaurants around the world, including: Pierre Gagnaire's Sketch in London, Les Nomades in Chicago and eventually landed in Los Angeles in 2004 to work at L'Orangerie and Patina where he served as sous chef.
Job Titles:
- Director of Imported Wagyu
- Director of Imported Wagyu / Fine Dining Specialist
My name is Brent Nakama and I have been working at Rocker Brothers since 2018, but I have specialized in operating a wagyu program since 2006. I began working in the food industry in 2006 with a small Japanese company importing wagyu from Japan and Australia when very few companies were importing wagyu. Together, we educated chefs and restaurants about the different prefectures, private farms and premium brands of wagyu that we would import. We would also explain that grading, feed, genetics and raising techniques impact the quality of the wagyu. As chefs and restaurants realized the quality of our imported wagyu, our clientele has grown with us. We now provide many fine dining restaurants in major resorts to chef driven restaurants across the country.
Chris Gail has been in the hospitality business for over 35 years. Chris started by washing dishes in the kitchen, later working at every station, before ultimately owning his own restaurant. Chris has been with the Rocker Bros. Meat team for over 8 years. He has worked with some of the most prestigious restaurants from the South Bay area to Orange County. He believes that building close relationships with his customers creates a better dialogue, which in turn helps Chris to customize programs to his individual customers.
When not working, Chris enjoys spending time with his wife, Fran, and daughter, Emily. He also plays competitive table tennis and enjoys working on old BMWs.
Job Titles:
- Account Executive
- Sales Manager
Chef Shaffer is always on a quest for the freshest ingredients and the finest meats. His talent for creating elegant yet accessible fare is just one of the reasons why Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Food Arts, Town & Country, Los Angeles Magazine, and The Los Angeles Times have been giving him glowing accolades.
A native Angeleno, Shaffer began his cooking career at the young age of twenty when he entered the kitchen of Chef Miles Angelo at the North Beach Bar & Grill in Venice. There he discovered a passion for cooking that would shape his career and ultimately his destiny. After two years, Shaffer met mentor Josie La Balch and began working at Remi in Santa Monica under her careful tutelage. La Balch encouraged Christian to travel to Italy to perfect his craft, and nurture his passion for the culinary arts.
During the next year at Trattoria Dal' Amelia in Venice, Italy, Shaffer honed his techniques and gained knowledge and an appreciation for fresh ingredients and fine meats. When it came time for his apprenticeship to end, he headed back to the United States and immediately went to Patina restaurant in Los Angeles. Patina was and still is the most highly recognized restaurant in the city. Christian had the pleasure of working as Sous Chef of Pinot Bistro in Studio City and as Chef de Cuisine of Pinot Blanc in Napa Valley.
Never one to rest on his laurels, Christian took the position as Executive Chef of Cicada Restaurant, located in downtown Los Angeles. There he garnered a loyal following through his seasonal menus and innovative interpretations of classic Northern Italian cuisine that marry the traditional with the contemporary.
Prior to opening Chloe in 2003, Chef Shaffer was Executive Chef of Drake's Venice where in just a short amount of time his food received much recognition from top publications such as Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, and The Los Angeles Times.
Chef Christian Shaffer showcased an ambitious, well planned foray, into the opening of the highly lauded restaurant Chloe in Playa del Rey, CA. Having garnered a loyal following with Chloe, Shaffer decided it was time to expand and share his culinary vision on a broader level with the opening of a second restaurant, Avenue in Hermosa Beach.
Shaffer wins kudos outside the restaurant as well; he is involved in several local and national charities including the Boys and Girls Club, Project Angel Food, Meals on Wheels, and the St. Jude's Children's Hospital.
In continuing his passion for fine foods, Chef Shaffer has decided to join our family at Rocker Bros. Meat & Provision, Inc. With his extensive knowledge of fine meats and culinary art, we venture together in our joined quest of serving the highest quality meats available to the finest restaurants in Southern California.
Rocker Bros. Meat & Provision, Inc. is a family operated business with a combined 100-years-plus of meat buying, processing, and distributing experience. Our father started Holiday Meat & Provisions in 1965 and the torch has now been passed to Shelly and David, who operate Rocker Bros. Meat & Provisions with the same old-fashioned values, plus a whole new set of working dynamics for higher quality, greater efficiency and better customer satisfaction.
Debbie Rocker hails from a long line of meat people. She is a serial entrepreneur, passionate animal lover, and new-age saleswoman. Her family has been in the meat business in Los Angeles since 1965, providing chefs with exceptional, and affordable meats. Debbie supports ranchers and farmers with humane and sustainable husbandry and environmental practices. These healthy, nature-based practices give animals the support and sustenance they need to live their best lives and in turn they provide us with nutritious and delicious meats.
Rocker Bros is known for custom, chef supporting services; aging, cutting and packing to Chef's specs.
Rocker excels at meat maintenance, "It's our secret sauce" says Debbie. Meat maintenance is the art of storing, aging and maintaining meat. Temperature and moisture control, breathable and non breathable barriers, moisture tracking, wet and dry aging, hand selecting primal cuts piece by piece, ongoing testing, custom cutting and more. "Its no small task but absolutely necessary as my job is to deliver the finest meats discoverable, to the pickiest customers in the world - our chefs.
Job Titles:
- Director of Food Safety
- Director of Quality Assurance & Food Safety
Jacqueline Haedo has been working with the Rocker family for over 30 years. Jacquie started off as an executive assistant and then worked as a sales executive before ultimately becoming the Director of Quality Assurance and Food Safety for Rocker Bros. Meat & Provision, Inc. Jacquie believes in the "Rocker values" of providing the highest quality and consistency in customer service. She also efficiently maintains the Rocker facility and the employees regarding safety and protection. Jacquie is extremely knowledgeable about the product, suppliers, and and the procedures in place at Rocker Bros.
Mitchell Sonners was born and raised in Los Angeles, and has been in the meat business for most of his adult life. His family owned the meat company, American Provisions, which was founded in 1923. It was there at the age of 21 that he began working for his grandfather. He learned every aspect of the industry from butchering to operations. This was a great gift that sets him above an ordinary salesperson.
After a stint following in his father's footsteps as a garment manufacturing, Mitchell came back to the meat industry to create with his cousins, LA Provisions where he ran the business for ten years. Then in 2012 Mitchell joined the Rocker Brothers team where he has continued to grow with the company as one of its top sales representatives.
Mitchell loves LA, and especially loves the Lakers. He resides in Topanga Canyon with four rescue dogs, two cats, and his wife of two years, Ginger.
Nickos is a born and breed Angelino. He attended the Los Angeles Trade Tech culinary school in 1996 and began his cooking career in the Patina group of restaurants. Followed by a stint with Michael Cimarusti at the Water Grill. Along the way he has spent time in NYC working for the likes of Jean-George and Daniel. Eventually becoming the executive chef of Snack Taverna in the West Village.
Returning back home to California in 2006, he went work with Christian Shaffer at his New project in Ojai, Auberge. Then returned to the Patina Group where he took the Executive Chef Job at Parallaxat Mammoth Mountain. In 2009 Nickos left the kitchen to find a home at Rocker Bros. Where he has found a passion working with chefs, and new and exciting menu options.
Paul has been in customer service and brand representation for over 25 years. He grew up in Peru, one of the world's most visited culinary destinations, where his parents owned both Peruvian and Chinese restaurants. Since then, he has been obsessed with food, a fine steak being at the top of his priority list.
Paul understands the retail market and holds the customer's satisfaction in the highest regard. He focuses on providing excellent customer service to the restaurant and chef, allowing them to provide an outstanding product.
When not working, Paul enjoys spending time outdoors, especially riding bikes with his family and friends.
Shelly Rocker has been wearing a white meat coat as far back as he can remember. As a teenager, he enthusiastically began his career in the meat industry working for his father. He spent his high school years splitting his days between school and working in the plant; learning every phase of production. Back in the day there was a very limited supply of boxed beef. Therefore, his father's meat company broke cattle and processed from the hanging cattle. In his quest for knowledge, Shelly educated himself by working every single position and learning each processing procedure involved in meat production.
Tony Selvaggio has 29 years of experience in the meat and food service industry. He started his career working as a meat clerk and cutter for Stater Bros. for 4 years. From there Tony went to work for his uncle at Lido Veal & Lamb for 13 years. There he was taught the "ins and outs" of the business from the ground up.
He started in shipping and receiving, then moved into the cutting and production room, and then on to sales which is where he's been ever since. At Lido, Tony worked primarily with food service companies and major retailers across the country, developing programs for their specific needs. After working at Lido, Tony started working at Papa Cantella becoming their regional retail sales manager, working with companies such as; Costco, Trader Joe's, Sprouts, Stater Bros., Albertsons, Vons, and Safeway. Here he once again developed meat and home-meal replacement programs. Five years ago Tony started working for Rocker Bros Meat & Provision, Inc.
Tony made the move from retail sales back to food service sales because he felt that our retail markets were lacking the quality of products and creativity that he had experienced with chefs in the restaurant business. As a salesman for Rocker Bros., Tony is always looking for new and exciting ways to help his chefs improve their menus. Tony is very knowledgeable regarding the product and works extremely well with his clients.