Sam Ward

Chef Sam’s love for the culinary industry began after high school with a job working for a catering company. This experience prompted him to pursue his dream of becoming a chef by attending the California Culinary Academy, where he graduated from the Culinary Arts program. His baking career started in 1990, with opportunities at Jils Patisserie, Le Chantilly, and the Woodside Bakery, considered at the time to be the best all-scratch pastry shop in the Bay Area. Looking to further perfect his pastry technique, Chef Sam traveled to France in 1997 where he had the opportunity to work for a top pastry chef. His travels provided even greater career opportunities when he became executive pastry chef for Intercontinental Hotels, and went on to open the first five-star hotel in Kazakhstan, in the most challenging of startup environments. In 2001, back in the US he began his teaching career at the Department of Labor’s maritime training center at Treasure Island, and started his own small business in 2006.