WORK HISTORY
BON-APPETIT CATERING COMPANY, GEORGE FOX UNIVERSITY
Newberg, Oregon
April 2006 to Current: Position: Pastry Chef
Pastry Chef, upgraded from Lead Baker April 2006, with new policies and responsibilities. EG: Supervisor of assistant Pastry cook/Baker. Responsible for Bakeshop staff reviews and communicating Executive Chef's Guidelines, observations, schedules and production necessities. Report on the progress of Bakeshop staff. Monitor equipment needs and repairs. Order product from vendors. Weekly inventory. Dinner desserts for the Board meals, plated and other dinner desserts. Ensure that all catering and Board meals are finished on time with both Bon-Appetit's and my quality standards. Weekly meeting of all department staff heads to discuss Catering events for the upcoming week. Research and develop new dessert concepts and ideas. Find ways of improving quality of certain baked goods.Communicate with the Sous Chef regarding daily production, staffing and ordering issues.
As a Pastry Chef with experience in many other areas of the kitchen, I have often jumped over to the HOT side of the kitchen as well as the pantry/cold prep, to supervise and give advice and direction to the cooks as needed. I took this on without being directed to do so and I was recognized as a team player. My hourly wage was raised for the initiative I took to make sure quality, consistency, speed and timing were maintained.
2004 to April 2006 Position: Baker, dinner desserts.
Produce dinner desserts (all of which are decided upon by me) for 600 students daily and fill in for the morning baker on her days off, including Student Breakfast pastries and lunch (cookies and bars), light desserts. Produce desserts for the catering department as necessary. Plate up catering event dinners and desserts as needed.
June 2002 to Fall 2004
HARRAH'S LAKE TAHOE
(South Lake Tahoe, NV)
Swing Shift Baker 2 in the Bake Shop. Harrah's Bake Shop is high production of mass quantities and proves to be very challenging every day. Responsible for the following duties: Produce cakes, tarts, cookies, breakfast items, pies, sauces, banquet desserts, restaurant dessert components design, produce and present new desserts when asked by the Pastry Chef to do so. Help the other Baker 1’s and Assistant Bakers with items when they need help. Oversee production of bakery items; make sure items which are needed most for that day are completed on time. Answer the phone when the Pastry Chef and Lead Baker are both absent. Provide excellent customer service whenever possible. Work overtime if necessary to complete my job. When Lead Baker is absent, fill out the order form at the end of shift for necessary products to be delivered by warehouse the next day and make a production list for the day. Responsible for supervising training of culinary externs during Swing Shift
January 2002 to June 2002
CROSSINGS at The River House in Bend, Oregon
(CROSSINGS: a traditional Steak House serving Prime rib, Filet Mignon, Mud Pie, Chocolate Sack, Caesar Salad and more. There is no distinct Pastry department, only one Baker.) Performed the following duty stations as directed by the Chef: Evening Pantry, Sauté, Broiler, Baker. Mainly Sauté and Broiler. Reason for leaving CROSSINGS: although I learned to cook on the hot line, there was no position available for me to advance in my field of expertise.
September 2001 to November 2001
CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA at GREYSTONE
2555 Main Street, St. Helena, CA 94574
Lead Teaching Assistant, Baking and pastry teaching kitchen. Duties were: Keep par levels of ingredients at specific levels. Manage Chef instructors’ weekly orders. Assist instructors with miscellaneous needs such as ingredients and demonstration set-up. Student uniform enforcement: hats, towels, aprons, neckerchief. Produce breakfast items and put up breakfast every weekday. Make sure there was bread and desserts for lunch. Produce selected desserts and tasting bread for the food and wine dynamics course (Schramsburg/Holly Mondavi). Bake-off product for the student cafe. Supervise the other Teaching Assistants and provide them with things to do and items to produce. Work with the chef instructors' team leader to coordinate all of previously mentioned job requirements. Oversee the stewards' (dishwashers') duties and give them things to do when they have extra time. Work with maintenance department for equipment up-keep and safety issues.
January 2001 to August 2001
CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA at GREYSTONE
2555 Main Street, St. Helena, CA 94574
Student in Certificate in Baking and Pastry Arts Program
Graduated August 31, 2001 with Certificate in Baking and Pastry Arts. During this entire duration of the Course, I was also a Teaching Assistant and part-time apprentice for Lead TA.
March 2000 to January 2001:
CROSSINGS at The River House in Bend, Oregon
Performed all duties of the following as the Chef deemed necessary: Banquet cook, Baker, Pantry (breakfast-lunch), Breakfast & Lunch Line cook. Reason for leaving: to attend culinary school.
HOBBIES & INTERESTS
Scale miniatures, Cooking and Baking, Traveling; seeing the world, learning new things. Creating, viewing and collecting different types of art. Being creative with my mind and hands are important to me and must be a major part of my career.
As a Pastry Chef, the pastries and desserts that I create reflect my creative and artistic nature as well as my drive to satisfy one's taste, whether feasting with the eyes or enjoying my creation by mouth.This is the very heartbeat of my passion for Pastry Arts.
EDUCATION
January 2001 to August 2001
Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, St. Helena, California
Baking & Pastry Certificate Program graduate.
1986-1988
Middle Park High School, Granby, Colorado, grades 11-12 completed, High School Diploma.
NOTE:
My youth employment positions (from 1986 to 1992) are listed below
to show their importance to my culinary education. They show that I have
achieved a fundamental understanding of the very basic and vital entry
level positions that every food prep environment relies on.
They include:
Pizza Hut Inc.- Dish washer to Prep/Pizza Cook.
Shari's Inc. - Dishwasher and prep.Cook.
Fred Meyer Inc.- Produce Dept.- All Positions (fruit and vegetable
preparation, care and rotation)
References available on request.
Graduated 8/31/01 from the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, California, which was one of my major life goals. Most important life goal: to excel to the best of my ability in my chosen field. I may aspire at some point in the future to become a Baking & Pastry Arts Instructor as well as have my own Dessert and Pastry restaurant.
