Laurel Pike

As Pastry Chef I assisted sous chefs and executive chef in developing new recipes for à la carte menu banquets. Collaborated with kitchen staff to implement menu changes. Supported team in maintaining high standards of food quality and presentation, and was responsible for the preparation and production of house bread, pizza dough, plated desserts, and cake orders to ensure standards of excellence consistently achieved. I also assisted kitchen leadership with additional food production as needed, monitored inventory of pastry and dessert ingredients and orders as needed. Developed new desserts, displays and action stations for banquets and special events. I also had the opportunity to collaborate with Chefs in the area as well as visiting chefs on specialty dinners and events.

• Managed inventory levels, ensuring adequate supplies were available for upcoming events without overstocking perishable items.
• Worked closely with event planners and catering managers to ensure seamless execution of all banquet-related food services.
• Constructed visually appealing buffet stations that enticed guests while showcasing the variety of menu options available. Improved overall customer satisfaction through attention to detail when executing dish preparation and presentation.

Assisted in preparation of baked goods for café. Supported creation of desserts and sides for restaurant. Maintained cleanliness and organization of baking area. Develop weekly and seasonal specials such as quiche, pretzels, and donuts, muffins, hand pies. Managed and trained an assistant to ensure things run smoothly.

• Trained and mentored junior bakers, fostering skill development and operational excellence.
• Collaborated with management to design seasonal menus that align with customer preferences.
• Streamlined production processes, resulting in improved workflow and reduced downtime.

Though this catering business no longer exists I learned a lot from my time working there. Because they offered custom menus I was almost constantly creating new recipes to fulfill the customers wishes. I learned to improvise and execute dinners in less then ideal circumstances and make some truly beautiful and unique experiences. Unfortunately they did not survive covid.

• Engineered new recipes for custom orders and specialty events
• Demonstrated flexibility and adapted quickly to last-minute changes or requests from clients and event coordinators.
• Assisted in inventory management and proper storage of food item
• Developed strong time management skills by prioritizing tasks based on event schedules and specific needs of each function.

Pastry Culinarian Certificate from Ivy Tech, Fort Wayne Campus