Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Websites
Accomplishments
Affiliations
Certification
Timeline
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Walter S. Zuromski

Rotonda West,USA

Summary

30+ years’ success building strong culinary teams and driving food innovation & technology in research & development. Hands-on, Culinary Operations Executive with extensive knowledge and experience in culinary research and development, team building, entrepreneurship, food manufacturing and national account sales. Served as a trusted consultant, subject matter expert, and research specialist to selected clients and other business partners. Create training programs to support the assembly of strong culinary teams to achieve a common goal of food execution on a national level. Author of several technical culinary publications as well industry trade magazine articles. Has a successful track record in the commercialization of Manufactured food products.

Overview

31
31
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

CULINARY DIRECTOR/FOOD INNOVATION RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Chef Services Group Inc.
01.1995 - Current
  • Serve a variety of different clients as a Culinary Director and Researcher. Pioneered unique food development opportunities for clients and actively participated in several tasks including restaurant concept creation, menu development, innovative product development, ingredient processing, manufacturing, equipment & ingredient technical sales.
  • Cultivated and successfully launched hundreds of commercial products for ingredient and food manufacturers. Significantly boosted their profitability and market share.
  • Continually searched for ways to improve manufacturing processes. Slashed operating costs and improved the quality of ingredients and food.
  • Championed innovative research and development projects for new products. Quickly solved problems and executed wildly profitable and successful product lines.
  • Earned several industry awards and recognition as a leader and trusted consultant. Facilitated presentations to industry leaders that captured their attention and drove positive change.
  • Partnered with industry leading restaurant chains and independent developers focused on menu and restaurant development.
  • Drafted interactive, comprehensive training and development programs for restaurant staff. Trained employees and empowered them with the knowledge and skills to be successful.
  • Developed Sales opportunities by providing Technical Sales Support to TIC GUMS. Targeted national account presentations focused on the use and application of Hydrocolloids.
  • Authored value-added sales presentations for accounts such as Tyson, Campbell Soup and Nestle.
  • Collaboratively led the R&D that established the Gourmet Bay line for Slade Gorton.
  • Successfully reformulated over 50 soup & sauce items for Plenus Group to achieve gluten free claims, increase functionality and yield for three top retailers IE. Whole Foods, Roche Bros & others. Supporting the Herban Fresh line of Soups
  • Long Term Consulting Contracts – Current Engagements
  • Food Technologist / Chef
  • Catelli Brothers J&G Foods, Sutton MA. USDA Meat Manufacturer
  • Food Technologist / Chef
  • Plenus Group, Inc. – Lowell, MA USDA Cook-Chill Manufacturer
  • Culinary Director / Corporate Chef
  • Ts Restaurant Group – RI Restaurant Chain
  • Research Chef Consultant/Technical Sales
  • TIC GUMS, Belcamp, MD
  • Corporate Chef/Research & Development
  • Gourmet Bay Line - Slade Gorton Seafood Co., Boston, MA
  • Research Chef/Consultant
  • Sun Pub Restaurant Group, St. Pete Florida

Acting DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Raw Seafoods Inc.
01.2016 - 01.2017
  • Guided the research and development activities for the organization and expanded their private label brand development for distribution with retail and food service national accounts.
  • Improved the market and revenue performance of the J. Scott and private label brands. Realized a near 10% increase in product portfolio offerings.
  • Secured new business contracts supporting the national account sales team focused on large retail and restaurant chains. Marketed and sold new products, which boosted sales by 10% over last year's sales by $8M in 2017.
  • Improved production planning through effective ingredient planning with the implementation of improved SOP's. Effectively enhanced better plant production yields by 2-3%.
  • Additional Experience
  • Director of Culinary Research & Development
  • Daka International/Daka Restaurants, Danvers, MA
  • Director of Research & Development
  • Papa Ginos / D’angelos
  • Associate Professor
  • Johnson & Wales University – College of Culinary Arts, Providence, RI
  • Executive Chef/Food & Beverage Manager/Owner Partner
  • The Mill Falls Restaurant/Newton Realty Group, Newton Upper Falls, MA
  • Executive Chef
  • The Charles Hotel/Interstate Hotels, Cambridge, MA

Education

Bachelor of Science - Hotel & Food Service Management

Johnson & Wales University
Providence, Rhode Island

Associate of Science - Culinary Arts & Occupational Studies

Culinary Institute of America
Hyde Park, New York

Skills

  • Strategic Culinary Operations Planning
  • Formula Development, Stove top to Plant
  • Project Management
  • Food Manufacturing Processes
  • Meat, Seafood & Liquid Manufacturing
  • Technical Sales National Accounts
  • Menu Engineering & Food Planning
  • HACCP & Food Safety Best Practices
  • Restaurant Operating Systems
  • Training & Development Programs
  • Motivational Team Leadership
  • Special Events Planning

Accomplishments

Successfully have commercialize task saturated prep areas in restaurant chains. Minimize the need to prepare soups, sauces, spices and condiments from scratch with co-packer manufacturing relationships. Versed in food service technical applications such as sous-vide and cook chill. Have a deep knowledge of functional ingredients to establish freeze thaw stable food items. Versed in industry food service trends and have written competitive menus with LTO's to support marketing programs that generate increase sales. High level expertise in accomplishing;

  • Restaurant Creation and design
  • Menu Development
  • Recipe Manuals and Procurement Strategies
  • Food Manufacturing
  • Food Commercialization & formula development
  • Innovation for Retail
  • Custom commodity product development


Affiliations

  • Research Chef’s Association
  • Institute of Food Technologists
  • American Culinary Federation
  • American Institute of Wine & Food

Certification

  • Sous Vide & Cook Chill trainer with Rosendale Collective, “RC LABS” industry workshop.
  • Two Time Gold Medal Recipient International Culinary Olympics “New England Culinary Team”
  • 2 Time James Beard House Chef Invitee, Greenwich Village, NY
  • Rational Combi-Oven & IVARIO Kettle Technical Certified Rational Chef
  • RCA Presentation National Convention with Chris Tanner Trends Presentation
  • Certified Executive Chef & Certified Culinary Educator “American Culinary Federation”.
  • Master Chefs Mystery Basket Workshop - Culinary Institute of America
  • Research Chef Association Conference – New Orleans, LA, “Culinology Competition” Judging Panel
  • Global Cuisine an International Melting Pot – Culinary Institute of America
  • Culinology 101 – Rutgers University, Instructor & Student
  • IFT International Food Technology Convention – Chicago, Illinois
  • American Culinary Federation – Certified Culinary Competition Judge – National NACUF & ACF Events
  • Culinary Medicine “Food is Medicine” Chef to Chef Conference, Atlanta, Georgia
  • American Culinary Federations National Convention Las Vegas – Sous Vide/Cook Chill presentation.

Timeline

Acting DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Raw Seafoods Inc.
01.2016 - 01.2017

CULINARY DIRECTOR/FOOD INNOVATION RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Chef Services Group Inc.
01.1995 - Current

Associate of Science - Culinary Arts & Occupational Studies

Culinary Institute of America

Bachelor of Science - Hotel & Food Service Management

Johnson & Wales University

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