Robert Harvey
Valatie
Summary
Culinary Professional, Small Business Management, Operations Professional.
Dynamic business manager with extensive experience in both culinary and boutique retail operations, with decades of experience across commercial kitchens, luxury hospitality, and both bakery and boutique ownership. I have worked successfully both as an employee and entrepreneur.
I hold myself to the highest standards, precision, and consistency in production, with a strong foundation rooted in traditional apprenticeship and journeyman training in the UK.
I am committed to excellence, teamwork, and am adept at balancing precision, efficiency, and creativity, bringing both structure and innovation to every work environment.
Overview
46
46
years of professional experience
Work History
Owner/Business Manager Director
Lea's/Partner
Chatham
01.2002 - Current
- Oversee daily operations of a boutique retail business, including customer service, workflow management, and strategic decision-making.
- Manage all aspects of the e-commerce platform, including product uploads, order processing, website updates, and online merchandising.
- Lead social media strategy, content creation to drive engagement, branding visibility, and sales across platforms.
- Serve as a primary point of communication with partner companies, suppliers, and manufacturers.
- Handle accounting tasks such as expense tracking, sales reconciliation, and financial reporting.
- Maintain accurate product records and oversee full inventory management, including forecasting and stock control.
- Compile and organize manufacturing orders for production partners in India, ensuring accuracy, item specifications, quantities, and timelines.
- Travel internationally to India to source materials, evaluate partners, and manage production relationships.
- Create and maintain detailed Excel spreadsheets and Word documents, track orders, production schedules, inventory, and business operations.
- As required, excellent customer communication both online and in-store.
Partnership Manager
Lea's boutique
Chatham
01.2002 - Current
- Assisted in managing the daily business operations of our boutique while preparing to launch my own bakery.
- Oversaw administrative and organizational tasks, ensuring smooth store functioning during a period of transition.
- Researched and sourced commercial bakery equipment, vendors, and rental kitchen options.
- Developed the initial bakery menu, pricing, and product strategy prior to opening.
- Coordinated logistics, start-up planning, and workflow design to support a successful bakery launch.
- During the bakery years my position at Lea's became less focused, although I was still involved at a limited capacity. After closing the bakery and expanding the boutique, eventually launching an e-commerce site, my involvement with Lea's evolved exponentially.
Entrepreneur/Master Baker
Chatham Village Cake Shoppe
Chatham
09.2004 - 10.2012
- Launched and operated a full-service bakery, two years after relocating from Scotland, UK, to the USA.
- Managed all aspects of the business, including planning, sourcing, and purchasing bakery equipment, and sourcing food and paper vendors.
- Developed the full manner, including innovative cake designs and flavors, seasonal offerings, product rotation systems, and all marketing materials, including ads, brochures, and merchandising and promotional material.
- Served as lead baker and cake decorator, producing custom cakes and daily baked goods with consistent quality.
- Created custom cakes for weddings, birthdays, and special events.
- Oversaw inventory, ordering, cost control, and workflow efficiency in a highly structured production environment.
- Built strong relationships with local wedding and event venues, and networked effectively within the hospitality and catering industry.
- Designed and maintained efficient production routines to ensure consistency, freshness, and smooth daily operation.
- Ensured compliance with health and safety regulations in food preparation areas.
- Sourced service personnel to maintain and service all bakery equipment.
- Made the strategic decision to close the bakery after eight successful years in order to expand and support a growing family business in the mixed-use commercial property we had obtained and currently still operate.
Pastry Chef
Raymoir Country House Hotel
Banchory
01.2000 - 12.2001
- Worked under French Executive Chef Fabrice, assisting in all areas of kitchen operations.
- Served as a pastry chef, producing desserts, sweets, and guest favors for this 5-star hotel.
- Maintained a clean working environment by adhering to health and safety regulations.
- Created high-quality plated desserts, pastries, and specialty items for daily service and special events.
- Collaborated closely with the executive chef to execute seasonal menus, maintain consistency, and uphold fine dining standards.
- Collaborated with the culinary team for event catering needs.
- Maintained a clean, efficient, and well-organized pastry station in a fast-paced, high-expectation environment.
- Managed time efficiently to produce high-quality goods within tight deadlines.
Night Cook Baker
Kelvin/Sodexo,Aramark,Eurest, Ligabui
Aberdeen
01.1990 - 12.2000
- Produced midnight and early morning meal options, along with bakery items, for onboard personnel in a safety-critical, highly regulated, disciplined environment.
- Prepared food products, mise en place, and baked goods for the head chef to support full-day meal service.
- Strictly adhered to offshore health and safety regulations, consistently achieving the highest inspection scores during weekly audits by the OIM and the medic.
- Managed menu planning and food inventory, including dry goods, frozen stock, dairy, and perishable supplies.
- Monitored stock rotation, food storage, and temperature controls to ensure compliance with all safety standards and regulations.
- Maintained a clean, organized galley, and baking area while meeting tight production schedules on an offshore rotation.
- My offshore career began with Kelvin International and rotated through management staff, also rotating to different companies in the offshore catering arena.
Baker Apprentice/Journeyman
Murdoch Bakery
Aberdeen
01.1980 - 01.1990
- Completed a four-year apprenticeship at Murdoch's Bakery immediately after leaving Aberdeen Secondary School.
- I attended Aberdeen Technical College, obtaining my baking and culinary arts certification.
- Progressed to journeyman baker, working across all areas of the bakehouse, including savory production, bread baking, pastry making, and cake decoration.
- Gained comprehensive experience in large-scale, family-owned commercial bakery operations and daily production routines.
- Assisted in overseeing bakehouse staff and maintaining high standards of quality, safety, and workflow efficiency.
- Developed strong foundational and vocational skills in bakery production, time management, teamwork, and multi-department coordination.
- My four-year apprenticeship and progression to Journeyman Baker at Murdoch's Bakery instilled in me the highest professional and culinary standards. The disciplined, structured training environment shaped my work ethic, attention to detail, and commitment to consistency—principles that have guided me throughout my entire culinary and hospitality career, seamlessly transforming over to my abilities to successfully be an entrepreneur for the last 23 years.
Education
City And Guilds Proficiency in Baking Skills. - Baking And Cake Decoration.
Aberdeen Technical College
Aberdeen, Scotland03-1984
High School Diploma -
Aberdeen Secondary School
Aberdeen05-1981
Skills
- E-commerce management
- Social media strategy
- Customer relationship management
- Inventory management
- Work ethic and training
- Workflow optimization
- Client communication and networking
- Vendor sourcing and procurement
- Business administration
- Sales leadership
- Time management and reliability
- Cake decorating and baking
Custom Section 1
- Versatile professional with a strong work ethic, diverse experience, and a proven ability to listen, learn, and lead.
Timeline
Entrepreneur/Master Baker
Chatham Village Cake Shoppe
09.2004 - 10.2012
Owner/Business Manager Director
Lea's/Partner
01.2002 - Current
Partnership Manager
Lea's boutique
01.2002 - Current
Pastry Chef
Raymoir Country House Hotel
01.2000 - 12.2001
Night Cook Baker
Kelvin/Sodexo,Aramark,Eurest, Ligabui
01.1990 - 12.2000
Baker Apprentice/Journeyman
Murdoch Bakery
01.1980 - 01.1990
City And Guilds Proficiency in Baking Skills. - Baking And Cake Decoration.
Aberdeen Technical College
High School Diploma -
Aberdeen Secondary School