Lauren Serrano
Queens,NY
Summary
Creative Culinary Producer offering 10+ years' experience in high-volume restaurants and creating innovative food media content. Eagerly seeking to work with the Trusted Media Brands team to showcase my extensive experience in the Creator Partnership Associate role.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Marketing Events Coordinator
Drive Shack Inc.
New York, NY
02.2024 - Current
- Manages event promotional materials, ensuring all merchandise, signage, printed items, giveaways, and other essentials are prepared and organized.
- Develops, launches, and manages comprehensive campaigns from concept through on-site activation, ensuring alignment with Drive Shack Inc.'s brand values.
- Creates interactive marketing activations that effectively
communicate the brand’s message to the intended demographic.
Freelance Content Writer
Trusted Media Brands
New York, NY
01.2024 - Current
- Collaborates with editorial team to create compelling articles with the overall editorial calendar and maintain a consistent brand voice.
- Researches the latest food trends, culinary techniques, and industry news to ensure content is fresh, relevant, and accurate.
- Develops keyword-rich SEO articles to promote brand awareness and improve organic search rankings.
Chef/Food Media Producer
Freelance Chef
New York, NY
08.2023 - Current
- Collaborates with caregiver and healthcare professionals to develop a weekly personalized meal plan for client that suffers with long-term effects of a Traumatic Brain Injury.
- Creates weekly menu primarily consisting of an Ayurveda diet that aligns with their dietary restrictions and nutritional needs.
- Adapts recipes to provide tasty meals that are easy to digest.
- Assists client’s partner creating video logs and pictures documenting client’s daily activities and progress.
Chef/Food Media Producer
Meadowsweet Retreat
Tuscany, Italy
07.2023 - 08.2023
- Executed seasonally diverse-inspired menus for retreat center guests with Chef Lu Oates.
- Sourced locally, high-quality ingredients to promote a farm-to-table approach.
- Collaborated with the retreat center's staff to coordinate meal schedules and dietary requirements for guests.
- Created visually appealing food presentation techniques for the retreat center's food media content.
- Styled and propped dishes for a photoshoot.
Chef/Recipe Developer
Overthrow Hospitality
Manhattan, NY
07.2022 - 06.2023
- Collaborated with the Executive Chef on the opening menu for Rabbit NYC, a vegan 13-course seasonal raw-vegan tasting menu.
- Developed standard recipes and techniques for food preparation and presentation, promoting consistently high-quality food items.
- Delegated tasks and supervised kitchen staff to optimize food preparation, presentation and safety.
- Oversaw ordering and kitchen operations, ensuring seamless coordination with the Executive Chef.
- Featured coverage in the NY Times and various publications.
Culinary Operations Manager
Le Petite Monstre
Brooklyn, NY
02.2021 - 05.2022
- Managed kitchen and bakery operations
- Implemented quality control measures to ensure compliance with Department of Health procedures, including COVID-19 sanitation regulations.
- Achieved a remarkable 300% increase in overall kitchen sales from January 31, 2021, to June 12, 2021.
- Monitored budgets and expenditures to ensure cost-effectiveness while maintaining quality standards.
- Recruited and trained new employees to meet job requirements.
Executive Chef
High Five Food and Drink
Brooklyn, NY
11.2019 - 03.2020
- Curated the opening menu for Terms of Endearment, a vegan French restaurant and patisserie.
- Executed store-opening operations.
- Collaborated with the Executive Pastry Chef to create new laminated dough products and classes for children and adults.
- Executed menu planning, recipe development and daily restaurant operations.
- Developed catering options and special events menus.
Executive Pastry Chef/Executive Sous Chef
Matthew Kenney Cuisine
Manhattan, NY
05.2017 - 07.2019
- Collaborated on opening menu development and recipe testing for Plant Food and Wine with Chef de Cuisine Joshua Lucio-Lasso.
- Built and managed relationships with local vendors to obtain fresh, quality ingredients at cost-effective prices.
- Supervised kitchen food preparation in demanding, high-volume environments.
- Created dessert menu and lead production for Stella McCartney and PETA private holiday party in November 2018.
- Led the pastry production for Matthew Kenney Cuisine's dinner at the James Beard House in April 2019 under the direction of Chef Scott Winegard.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Global Affairs
The College of New Jersey
Ewing, NJ05.2011
Bachelor of Arts - Study Abroad Program
Ho Chi Minh University of Social Sciences
Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam01-2011
Skills
- Recipe Development
- Food Photography and Styling
- Influencer partnerships
- Content Management Systems (Squarespace and Wix)
- Analytical and Critical Thinking
- Forecasting Consumer Trends
- Verbal and Written Communication
- Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite
Certification
- Sivananda Yoga Alliance 200 Hr Certification, May 2023
- Holistic Nutrition Health Coach Certification, Institute for Integrative Nutrition, June 2023
LANGUAGES
- English
- Spanish (conversationally)
- French (conversationally)
- Vietnamese (conversationally)
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Marketing Events Coordinator
Drive Shack Inc.
02.2024 - Current
Freelance Content Writer
Trusted Media Brands
01.2024 - Current
Chef/Food Media Producer
Freelance Chef
08.2023 - Current
Chef/Food Media Producer
Meadowsweet Retreat
07.2023 - 08.2023
Chef/Recipe Developer
Overthrow Hospitality
07.2022 - 06.2023
Culinary Operations Manager
Le Petite Monstre
02.2021 - 05.2022
Executive Chef
High Five Food and Drink
11.2019 - 03.2020
Executive Pastry Chef/Executive Sous Chef
Matthew Kenney Cuisine
05.2017 - 07.2019
Bachelor of Arts - Global Affairs
The College of New Jersey
Bachelor of Arts - Study Abroad Program
Ho Chi Minh University of Social Sciences
- Sivananda Yoga Alliance 200 Hr Certification, May 2023
- Holistic Nutrition Health Coach Certification, Institute for Integrative Nutrition, June 2023
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