Active students and alumni gathered at Under The Sun Eatery and Pizzeria in Boulder, CO on September 26th, 2018 for Escoffier’s first “Making The Cut” event. The event is designed to bring together industry professionals and budding chefs to discuss what it means to be a stand out employee and find success. Seven local chefs donated their time and advice to tell the audience what it takes to “make the cut” in the competitive industry.
Alumni and students of Escoffier-Boulder got to hear a number of prominent local chefs provide career insight.
Each chef shared the story of their unique training and career pathways which lead them to manage kitchens all over the world. The audience also engaged with the chef panel in a question and answer session geared towards delivering valuable advice and guidance to design their own pathways to success. An alumni stated “these chefs are the best at what they do and having their attention for an even an hour is immeasurable”.
Attendees were encouraged to network with the chefs following the panel discussion and many guests reported leaving with contact information and invitations to stage and interview for positions at their restaurants. One student reported that “great questions were asked and (I) enjoyed the exclusive opportunity to speak with who we wanted to afterwards”.
The chef panel also found the event beneficial for their recruiting efforts. The Broadmoor Hotel’s Executive Chef, David Patterson said “it was a progressive and engaging afternoon with the students and had a lot more energy than a traditional career fair. I thought it was great and I’d be happy to participate in any way possible in the future”. Escoffier intends to hold quarterly networking and career building events like “Making The Cut” in the future.
Chef panel:
Kelly Whitaker – Executive Chef – Basta, The Wolf’s Tailor (Boulder/Denver, CO)
David Patterson – Executive Chef – The Broadmoor Hotel (Colorado Springs, CO)
Kelli Daniels – Executive Chef – The Greenbriar Inn (Boulder, CO)
Eric Lee – Executive Chef – Wendell’s (Denver, CO)
Chris Royster – Executive Chef – Flagstaff House (Boulder, CO)
Liliana Myers – Pastry Chef – Safta – (Denver, CO)
Jessica Nowiki – Chef De Cuisine – Safta (Denver, CO)
