Tanvi Upasani
Toronto,Canada
Summary
Hands-on culinary specialist with a background in menu development, recipe testing, and kitchen operations. Experienced in food media production and sensory evaluation, bringing creativity and precision to R&D culinary projects.
Overview
7
7
years of professional experience
Work History
Culinary Operations Specialist
HelloFresh | World's Leading FoodTech Meal-Kit Co.
Toronto, Canada
11.2024 - 08.2025
- Delivered 100% on-time execution of weekly menu launches by coordinating culinary workflows, recipe readiness, and cross-team approvals.
- Reduced recipe and production errors by strengthening QA checks across ingredients, instructions, and portioning standards.
- Supported the successful launch of new and seasonal menu items through recipe testing, iteration, and operational validation.
- Increased consistency in customer experience by validating recipe clarity, prep flow, and cooking accuracy before release.
- Strengthened cross-functional collaboration between culinary, product, marketing, and operations teams, enabling smoother launches and fewer post-launch issues.
- Managed weekly recipe photo production, ensuring accurate portions, visual consistency, and brand-aligned presentation across all dishes.
- Participated in sensory evaluations and ingredient tastings, contributing feedback on flavor, texture, and overall quality to support ingredient selection and product decisions.
Account Manager
Tag Americas (now Dentsu) | F&B/ CPG Media Agency
Toronto, Canada
03.2024 - 09.2024
- Built long-term client partnerships through discovery calls and end-to-end sales ownership.
- Oversaw project execution alongside the project manager, collaborating with test kitchen team members, recipe developers, and food and prop stylists to ensure seamless coordination and successful delivery of each project.
- Increased average deal size by 20% through effective negotiation and delivering a consultative sales approach, aligning solutions with client needs, and long-term business goals.
- Partnered with leadership, BDRs, and account managers to deeply analyze CRM-tracked sales activities, identifying which strategies performed best, monitoring market trends, and refining pipeline and forecasting strategies through data-backed insights.
- Led QBRs to assess outcomes against client objectives, and proactively drove follow-up initiatives in partnership with internal teams to improve value realization.
- Handled invoicing and vendor payments with on-time, compliant processing.
Events Coordinator
Ricarda's Events | Hospitality Products & Services
Toronto, Canada
07.2023 - 03.2024
- Developed and presented custom event proposals with food and beverage packages, balancing client budgets, and premium culinary offerings.
- Ensured consistency in food quality, plating, and portioning, maintaining high standards across all events.
- Partnered with sales and finance teams to support menu pricing, package optimization, and vendor selection for cost-effective, high-quality culinary experiences.
Cook Success Coordinator
Cookin Inc. | Digital food marketplace
Toronto, Canada
12.2022 - 06.2023
- Guided new cooks through menu planning, recipe costing, and seasonal optimization, helping them align offerings with customer and market trends.
- Conducted food safety and sanitation checks, ensuring all kitchens met quality and regulatory standards.
- Supported cooks in preparing meals from Cookin's commercial kitchens, providing hands-on training and operational guidance.
- Managed content accuracy and food presentation for in-app listings, including coordination of recipe photo shoots.
Kitchen Manager
Good Good
Toronto, ON
10.2021 - 10.2022
- Oversaw daily kitchen operations, including staff supervision, workflow management, and ensuring consistent food quality and plating standards.
- Managed inventory, ordering, and cost control while maintaining food safety, sanitation, and compliance across all kitchen activities.
Line Cook
Hilton Hotels
Denver, Colorado
06.2018 - 01.2020
- Executed high-quality dishes with precise plating, portioning, and attention to flavor balance, maintaining fine-dining standards.
- Collaborated with chefs and kitchen staff to ensure timely service, mise en place organization, and strict adherence to food safety and sanitation protocols.
Education
Master's - Global Hospitality Leadership & Business Management
Seneca College
Toronto, ON09.2021
Bachelor's - Hospitality Business Administration & Marketing
University of Pune
Pune, Maharashtra01.2018
Skills
- Recipe development and testing
- Product iteration
- Sensory evaluation
- Culinary techniques (hot line, cold prep, batch cooking)
- Recipe standardization and scale-up
- Food safety, sanitation, and hygiene practices
- Quality control and consistency checks
- Menu development and optimization
- Food costing and portion control
- Recipe documentation and reporting
Timeline
Culinary Operations Specialist
HelloFresh | World's Leading FoodTech Meal-Kit Co.
11.2024 - 08.2025
Account Manager
Tag Americas (now Dentsu) | F&B/ CPG Media Agency
03.2024 - 09.2024
Events Coordinator
Ricarda's Events | Hospitality Products & Services
07.2023 - 03.2024
Cook Success Coordinator
Cookin Inc. | Digital food marketplace
12.2022 - 06.2023
Kitchen Manager
Good Good
10.2021 - 10.2022
Line Cook
Hilton Hotels
06.2018 - 01.2020
Master's - Global Hospitality Leadership & Business Management
Seneca College
Bachelor's - Hospitality Business Administration & Marketing
University of Pune