I graduated IUP Academy of Culinary Arts in 1996.  I am currently the Pastry Chef
of the Stable Café on the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC.  The Stable Café is located beside the Biltmore House in the old horse stables.  We serve the largest volume of guests on the estate.  We also cater weddings, receptions, banquets and corporate functions in addition to our regular lunch business.  I run a department of 2 employees and myself and we are responsible for producing the a la carte desserts, various breads and banquet desserts.  I also prepare customized wedding cakes and I personally meet with every bride to make sure that we provide her with everything she envisions. 

Attending IUP provided me with a good foundation of knowledge needed to work in the culinary field.  I gained valuable skills and also a strong work ethic that further prepared me for my career.  Working in culinary is hard work, and I feel that the chef instructors at IUP
did a great job of training us for what we would face in professional kitchens.

Before joining the Biltmore Estate I also worked at the Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa and the Hyatt Regency Kansas City.  While at the Grove Park Inn, I had the honor of representing the Horizon’s Restaurant and Grove Park Inn as Pastry Chef at a dinner hosted by Historic Hotels of America for the James Beard House in New York City.  I was also featured in the signature series of Pastry Art and Design Magazine for the January/February 2002 issue.

I really enjoy working for the Biltmore Estate; I have been through a lot of professional management training since starting here.