Pastry & Baking—Bake completely from scratch; develop and test new recipes for custom requests; Design, plan, bake, decorate, and deliver wedding cakes; Bake breads, rolls, quick breads; Create and execute other desserts including petite fours, plated desserts, and dessert buffets
Cooking & Catering—Emphasis on authentic cultural flavors; Create and execute menus and recipes; Create and execute production schedules for kitchen staff; Conduct tastings for clients; Incorporate client feedback and preferences; Manage and lead kitchen and front of house staff during banquets
Culinary Instruction and Morale Events—Manage and direct classes with enrollment ranging from 8-60 guests; Create custom menus and recipes based on dietary preferences/restrictions; Teach guests techniques and flavor, both hands-on and demo style
Staff Management—Hire staff for kitchen, front of house, and office, including full-time staff, temporary staff, and interns; Managed timesheets; Mentorship; Other HR necessities
Business Operations—Marketing and networking; Inventory ordering and management; Financial operations including forecasting, client invoicing, payables, taxes, and payroll; Manage kitchen rental business and tenants
Continuing education culinary classes – Chiang Mai, Thailand, 3/2002; Bali, Indonesia, 9/2005; Paris, France, 10/2007; Hoi An, Vietnam, 2/2009; Siem Reap, Cambodia, 3/2014
WORK HISTORY
William Norris & Company
Head pastry chef
March 2018—February 2019
Created custom desserts for all clients, including ice creams, cakes, tarts, petite fours
Recipe development for bespoke events
Daily baking for standing client orders
Menu design collaboration with Head Chef
Claire’s Chefs staffing agency
Pastry chef
September 2015—February 2019
On-call pastry work for a variety of clients and venues, including Mustard Catering, Alison Price Catering, Lords Cricket Ground, St James Palace, Tate Modern
Created pastries, cakes, tarts, and other desserts using house and personal recipes
St. Luke’s Community Center
Chef instructor
September 2015—February 2019
Lead corporate cooking classes, including Mystery Basket, Chef’s Challenge, Holiday Baking events
Taught cookery classes, covering topics including Baking, Italian, Christmas Dinner, and Healthy Home Cooking for Children
The CoffeeWorks Project
Pastry sous chef
August 2017—February 2018
Created daily pastries, cakes, tarts, and other desserts for four retail locations
Revised and expanded existing menu with Head Pastry Chef
Designed and developed original recipes and improved existing house recipes
Fulfilled special catering and event pastry orders
Mange Catering
Head pastry chef and consultant
October 2015—February 2018
Created pastries, cakes, tarts, and other desserts using house and personal recipes
Assisted with general catering prep and event services
L’Atelier de Chefs
Chef instructor
September 2015—October 2018
Taught classes on a freelance basis, covering topics including French, Street Food, and Chef’s Challenge
Ottolenghi
Pastry chef
May 2015—August 2015
Created pastries, cakes, tarts, and other desserts
Decorated and finished dessert items for custom catering orders
Managed and maintained Ottolenghi “signature” dessert window display
A la Mode Pies
Chef consultant
June 2014—February 2015
Created ice cream product line: recipe development, documentation, costing, training
Created hand pie menu item: recipe development, documentation, costing, training
Business consulting services: including production plans, staffing and management guidance, purchasing and costing systems, and facility layout.
Tallulah’s
Pastry chef
June 2014—November 2014
Responsible for all daily pastry and baking production, including various brunch items
Optimized and streamlined daily production
Recipe documentation, conversions, and standardization
Self-managed production schedule and pars
Designed and created weekly dessert specials
Collaborate with Executive Chef for seasonal dessert menu changes
FareStart
Catering sous chef / Chef instructor
June 2012 – June 2014 (on-call as needed June 2014-February 2015)
Provided “on the job” training for hundreds of FareStart students and graduates.
Prepared and produced food (including a wide range of pastries, petit fours, and plated desserts) for catered events ranging from 5-850 guests.
Managed and directed catering chefs and cooks: provided daily prep lists, communicated priorities, maintained production standards.
Inventory management, ordering, and food costing.
Documented production recipes.
Starry Nights Catering & Events
Executive Chef and Owner
January 2006—May 2012
Conceived, financed, and launched catering company based in Kirkland, with annual receipts exceeding $450K.
Specialized in authentic world cuisine, pastry, wedding cakes, and corporate cooking classes
Baked, built, decorated, and delivered wedding cakes ranging in size from one tier to seven tiers
Created and executed recipes, including cakes, fillings, breads, and other desserts, pastries, and confections
Marketed catering and pastry business through traditional and social networking methods
Managed the end-to-end client experience from initial consultation through event execution and customer satisfaction surveys
Inventory management, ordering, and food costing
Financial management of business, including forecasting, payroll, billing, budgeting, kitchen space rental, and taxes
Hiring of full-time and temporary staff, interns, management of kitchen rental tenants, and mentorship of younger chefs
PROFESSIONAL AWARDS / ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Head Chef for Commonwealth Day 2018 with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William and Kate), 3/2019
Sous chef for a private dinner for Anthony Bourdain, featured on The Travel Channel’s “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations” Seattle episode, 1/2007
Starry Nights Catering & Events represented as a pastry competitor on 2 episodes of The Food Network’s “Cake Challenge!”, 2/2011 and 8/2011
1st place (Desserts) at Chocolate for Choice, Seattle’s Qwest Event Center, 1/2010
The Knot’s Voter Pick “Best Of” Award, 2010 and 2011
