Chef Matt Shaw
Chef Instructor, Baking & Pastry
Through travel and service, I’ve learned that food is more than sustenance—it’s morale, culture, and connection. The military taught me discipline, travel taught me respect for flavors beyond borders, and teaching reminds me that sharing food is sharing knowledge. No matter where I serve, a well-cooked meal can still bring people together.
About
Chef Matt brings over two decades of culinary expertise, spanning roles as a restaurateur and as a United States Coast Guard Culinary Specialist, including assisting at the White House. Early in his career, he was fortunate to be mentored by Michelin-starred Chef Giles Epie at the Paris restaurant Citrus Étoile. His true culinary foundation, however, began much closer to home—in his mother’s kitchen—where he learned to roll and shape dough for his family’s traditional Czech pastries.
For the past twenty years, Chef Matt has proudly served the men and women of the United States Coast Guard as a Culinary Specialist. His roles have included chef instructor, curriculum writer, and culinary team leader. While stationed in Washington, D.C., he had the honor of cooking for world leaders, foreign dignitaries, and U.S. congressmen and women while serving as Special Command Aide to the Commandant and Vice Commandant of the United States Coast Guard.
Chef Matt was named the 2022 American Culinary Federation National Pastry Chef of the Year, an achievement made possible through years of dedication and education. He is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute and the Culinary Institute Lenôtre. A passionate culinarian, Chef Matt believes deeply in the power of food as a foundation for happiness and connection.
Honors & Awards
- ACF National Pastry Chef of the Year, 2022
- Military Service Medal - Awarded from the US Army representing all the military branches at the ACF National convention, 2022
Professional EXPERIENCE
- Owner/Chef Holly Road Café - Corpus Christi, TX
- US Coast Guard Boatswain - South Padre Island & Galveston, TX
- Philippe, Cuisinier - Houston, TX
- Citrus Etoil Champs Elysees, Stage - Paris, France
- US Coast Guard Tender Abbie Burgess, Culinary Specialist - Rockland, ME
- US Coast Guard Cutter Manta, Culinary Specialist - Freeport, TX
- US Coast Guard Special Command Aid, Executive Dining Facility Homeland Security - Washington, D.C.
- US Coast Guard Cutter Steadfast, Culinary Specialist - Astoria, OR
- US Coast Guard Tracen Petaluma A-School Culinary Instructor/Curriculum Coordinator - Petaluma, CA
- US Coast Guard Special Command Aide to Commandant and Vice Commandant - Washington, D.C.
- US Coast Guard Recruiter in Charge Recruiting Office - Boise, Idaho
Dish Examples
Pistachio Brownie Toffee Bar
One of my favorite recipes from my mother's kitchen that I have made many times over the years for my fellow shipmates in the Coast Guard. Recipe and myself were featured in the Taste of Home Magazine in 2017.
Education
- Bachelor of Arts in Baking and Pastry - New England Culinary Institute, Montpelier, Vermont
- Associate Degree of Applied Science Culinary Arts - Culinary Institute LeNotre, Houston, TX
