Rachel Maynard
Napa,United States
Summary
Passionate food & wine professional, with particular expertise in luxury experiences. I have maintained dedication to this industry since graduating with a Hospitality Management degree, and have diverse work experiences ranging from wine making, to fine dining service, to management of a back of house team. I am always willing to take on added responsibilities to meet team goals, and to lead my peers with finesse and determination.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Hospitality Ambassador
The Donum Estate
08.2023 - Current
- Established a reputation for excellence in wine sales, consistently achieving the highest sales and highest club conversation rate for each month.
- Contributed to revenue growth by upselling when appropriate.
- Conducted regular room inspections to guarantee high standards of cleanliness and maintenance.
- Increased repeat business through friendly interactions and genuine care for guest needs.
- Handled guest inquiries professionally and courteously, offering personalized recommendations when needed.
- Demonstrated excellent problem-solving skills in resolving any complaints or conflicts that arose during a guest's visit.
- Supported sales efforts by conducting property tours for potential clients, showcasing the art collection and winery offerings convincingly.
- Assisted in training new employees on hospitality best practices, elevating overall team performance.
- Managed reservations efficiently, confirming bookings accurately and updating guest information as needed.
- Maintained well-regarded concierge services to provide guests with assistance and convenient information about local attractions.
- Conducted thorough research on exhibit content to ensure accurate and up-to-date information was delivered during tours.
- Assisted in the planning and execution of special events, increasing community engagement.
- Developed tour strategies to highlight the art collection and increase visitor satisfaction.
- Led private tours upon request, offering customized experiences for VIP guests or those requiring special accommodations due to accessibility needs or language barriers.
- Developed captivating presentations for diverse audiences, catering to various age groups and interests.
- Demonstrated superior professionalism while interacting with customers and vendors.
Sommelier-Server
Bouchon Bistro- Thomas Keller Restaurant Group
07.2022 - 08.2023
- Listened to guest needs and responded promptly for personalized service
- Communicated professionally with customers, colleagues and supervisors
- Supported bussers with table-cleaning during high-volume shifts
- Trained new servers in company policies, guest service standards and best practices
- Managed orders and payments with POS system
- Explained dishes in detail, covering ingredients, flavors and cooking methods
- Advised customers on proper wine and liquor pairings for different foods
- Presented specialty dishes with polished and professional tableside service
- Increased bill totals by suggesting drinks, desserts and other add-on purchases
- Maintained cellar organizing by restocking in a timely manner
- Helped count inventory, and maintained notes on a daily basis of par levels and orders
- Took special care of highly valuable wines for guests that brought in corkage, as well as wines from our own list
- Conducted wine tastings and wine education during pre-shift for coworkers
- Wrote emails to communicate with staff about wine list changes, policy changes, and information for wine knowledge enrichment.
Viticulture Seasonal Intern
Hall Wines
04.2022 - 10.2022
- Assist the viticulture team in scouting, recording, data entry, and testing for up to 100 vineyard sites
- Travel alone to various sites, maintain a sense of urgency and efficiency.
Pastry Sous Chef
La Foret Chocolates
10.2021 - 04.2022
- Maintain high quality standards for all pastry offerings while working with a sense of urgency, and keeping a clean workspace
- Responsible for opening and closing the shop, answering the phone, and helping customers in the retail section
- Assist with product development, inventory and ordering.
- Made confections by hand and ordered ingredients from suppliers.
- Packaged chocolate items for delivery or pickup.
- Implemented cost-saving measures while maintaining product quality, contributing to increased profitability.
- Trained new employees on company protocols, safety procedures and chocolate making techniques resulting in seamless integration into the team.
- Mentored junior staff members in mastering chocolate-making techniques, fostering a positive work environment and teamwork.
- Troubleshot and repaired malfunctioning kitchen equipment to maintain team performance levels.
- Collaborated with the research and development team for continuous improvement in chocolate quality, taste, and presentation.
- Provided exceptional customer service by offering personalized consultations for special occasion orders like weddings or corporate gifts.
- Designed limited edition collections around festive themes that became popular among customers leading to increased sales.
- Conducted regular inventory checks for efficient stock management, minimizing ingredient spoilage or shortages.
- Increased sales through the development of unique flavor combinations and seasonal offerings.
- Developed an allergen-free chocolate range to cater to customers with dietary restrictions, expanding market reach.
Harvest Cellar Intern
Saintsbury Winery
08.2021 - 10.2021
- Operated winery equipment for pump overs, punch downs, racking, etc
- Bottled still and sparkling wine, packaged finished products accurately and quickly
- Sorted sub-par grapes from the harvested fruit before being processed
- Inoculated wine, created nutrient additions and successfully incorporated into wines
- Cleaned tanks, and all wine making equipment to high food-grade standards
- Traveled to vineyards to collect grape samples, recorded measurements in the lab and reported them to the head winemaker.
Bartender
Smashing Grapes- Titan Hospitality Group
08.2020 - 01.2021
- Balanced efficiency with exceptional service, managing 225+ guests per night
- Guide guests through 1 of 3 wine tasting menus, giving them direction on how to properly enjoy and dissect each wine, provided them with viticultural knowledge for each wine, and adding unique stories to help capture the guests attention
- Engaged guests with warm conversation, building bar loyalty and encouraging repeat business
- Operated POS systems, entered orders, accepted payments, made change, and conducted credit card transactions
- Prohibited guest purchases in instances involving excessive alcohol consumption
- Prepared cocktails for customers using exact recipes combined with personal flair.
Executive Pastry Chef
Larkspur Events & Dining
12.2016 - 03.2020
- Oversee all daily operations of the restaurant, cafe, and private events
- Events range from 8 people up to 800
- Create all seasonal menus in accordance with the restaurant concept, often creating custom menus to meet the desires of specific clients
- Build and decorate all wedding cakes, as well as personally deliver cakes for off-premise events
- Accredited with improving and expanding the wedding cake menu, increasing prices, and doubling wedding cake revenue through increased sales
- Manage a pastry staff of 4 people during the busy season, and working alone during the off season
- Taught cooking classes for private events
- This entailed event timeline planning and coordination with multiple departments.
Education
Culinary Institute of America
Hyde Park, New YorkUC Davis
The Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts
Boulder, ColoradoFordham University
Bronx County, NYBreezy Hill Orchard
Staatsburg, NY11.2016
Macrina Bakery
Seattle, WA04.2014
Mohonk Mountain House
New Paltz, NY08.2012
Skills
- Genuine hospitality and customer service
- Curates important connections with vendors, guests, and staff
- Professional Appearance
- Key issue resolver in a team, proactive, timely, and concise
- Wine and food pairing knowledge
- Classically trained in wine service-ie, sparkling wine opening, decanting, pouring etc
- Task prioritization within a moving timeline
- Performs well under pressure, executing high volumes of food at a fast pace
- Excellent salesmanship with consistently high revenue and club conversions
- Strong leadership and communication skills
- Understanding of classical cuisines, its preparation, history, etc
- Skilled at training and mentoring, constantly improving standards
Certification
- Level 1 Introductory Sommelier- The Court of Master Sommeliers, 2023
- California Responsible Beverage Service Certificate-09/2022
- California Food Handler Certificate-11/2021
- 200 Hour Yoga Teacher-Yoga Trekking International, 2020
- Certified Aerial Lyra Instructor- P.L.A.Y. Studio, 2019
Timeline
Hospitality Ambassador
The Donum Estate
08.2023 - Current
Sommelier-Server
Bouchon Bistro- Thomas Keller Restaurant Group
07.2022 - 08.2023
Viticulture Seasonal Intern
Hall Wines
04.2022 - 10.2022
Pastry Sous Chef
La Foret Chocolates
10.2021 - 04.2022
Harvest Cellar Intern
Saintsbury Winery
08.2021 - 10.2021
Bartender
Smashing Grapes- Titan Hospitality Group
08.2020 - 01.2021
Executive Pastry Chef
Larkspur Events & Dining
12.2016 - 03.2020
The Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts
Fordham University
Breezy Hill Orchard
Macrina Bakery
Mohonk Mountain House
Culinary Institute of America
UC Davis
Similar Profiles
Danielle ParkDanielle Park
NDIS Support Worker and Administrator at Donum DeiNDIS Support Worker and Administrator at Donum Dei
John VanderHammJohn VanderHamm
Realtor at Real Estate Brokers Tasks Keller Williams Real EstateRealtor at Real Estate Brokers Tasks Keller Williams Real Estate
William SculleyWilliam Sculley
Real Estate Agent at Douglas Elliman Real Estate, Luxury Real Estate BrokerageReal Estate Agent at Douglas Elliman Real Estate, Luxury Real Estate Brokerage
Alexis NanthanongAlexis Nanthanong
Behavior Technician at Burnett Therapeutic Services, IncBehavior Technician at Burnett Therapeutic Services, Inc
JUSTIN JEZIORSKIJUSTIN JEZIORSKI
Director of Guest Services at Solage, Auberge Resorts CollectionDirector of Guest Services at Solage, Auberge Resorts Collection