Chef Antony Osborne brings to Culinard a wealth of international experience in culinary arts. He is a European Master Pastry Chef by trade with many educational degrees earned and experience training with prestigious culinary institutes such as Westminster College and the Ealing College of London, Slough Polytechnic University in England, and Sullivan University in Kentucky.  Chef Osborne has worked and lived in thirty-eight countries, apprenticed and trained at esteemed venues such as The Dorchester in London, the Palace Hotel in Switzerland, and the Nasseur Hof Hotel in Germany under the tutelage of such esteemed culinarians as Chefs Anton Mosimann, Hans-Peter Wodarz and Herbert Lagendorf. This gives Chef Osborne a huge diversity of culinary knowledge.

At the age of 25, while at The Dochester, Chef Osborne was the youngest Executive Pastry Chef of a leading hotel in the world . He went on to become the Executive Pastry Chef of The Oriental in Bangkok, Thailand, where he catered and prepared specialty desserts for the Royal Family of Thailand, and for many state banquets for such luminaries as President George Bush and Indian President Ravi Gandhi. He also provided desserts for exclusive royal boat cruises for Prince Charles. Chef Osborne carried his title of Executive Pastry Chef to the Nagoya Hilton Hotel in Japan and then to one of the highest-ranking hotels in the world, Raffles Hotel in Singapore. Here he worked with many top chefs such as Alain Ducasse, Joel Robuchon, Charlie Trotter, and Michel Trois Gros.

Through hard work and passion for the art of pastry, Chef Osborne was able to be a part of the Best National Team at the Singapore Salon Culinaire in 1994 and was awarded the Golden Lion Award, the highest culinary award in Asia. Chef Osborne also won gold medals at the Igeho Salon Culinaire Basel in 1985 and 1993, and most recently received a gold medal in 1998 as a Pastry Consultant for the Oriental team at the Thailand Salon Culinaire.  He was named one of the Top Ten Pastry Chefs in the United States in 2006 and was a Guest Chef for the large wine and food show that has been held annually at Walt Disney World Resort for the past 8 years.

Chef Osborne is currently the president of the Birmingham Originals (the independent restaurant association in the Birmingham metro area) and has been honored for his contributions to family and consumer sciences education  in Alabama secondary schools by the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). He also serves on the board of the Jefferson County Schools' Career Technical Advisory Council.

One of Chef Osborne greatest passions in his life is working alongside his good friend and Culinard graduate Dr. Luis Pineda with his "Cooking with Cancer" program.

Chef Mary Schaefer has over 18 years of culinary experience. She is a Certified Executive Pastry Chef with the American Culinary Federation. She has extensive training with culinary institutes such as The Culinary Institute of America, Notter School of Pastry Arts, The American Institute of Baking, and The University of Hawaii.

Her culinary experience includes pastry chef at The Sheraton Royal Hawaiian and Disney's Contemporary Resort and a pastry/catering chef for Disney's Coronado Springs Resort. Mary has appeared on the Do It Yourself Network, where she did a 30 minute show on cake decorating, and has appeared on several TV Food Network specials. Mary has taught culinary and baking classes in Guam, China, the Marshall Islands, Hawaii, and in Orlando, Florida.

Chef Phillip Brown, executive chef of The River Club, combines his classical French continental training from Newbury College (MA) with Asian and Italian cuisine influences. Brown has represented The Ritz-Carlton in such places as the Westbury Hotel, Dublin Ireland; James Beard House, New York, and Ritz-Carlton Hotels in Houston, TX, and Cancun Mexico.

He began his Ritz-Carlton career in 1983 in Boston as a line cook, saucier, café chef and banquet chef and worked as an executive sous chef and restaurant chef at the corporate headquarters in Atlanta.

Chef Bob Henry is a native of Bethlehem, PA. At the age of 17, he joined the Navy to further his experience and help finance his planned schooling. One of his assignments was to run the wardroom responsible for feeding all officers and their dignitaries. He hosted Bob Hope's 77th Birthday special.

Bob attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. His externship was spent at the National School of Meat Cutting in Toledo, Ohio. Bob became an Executive Chef with Beacon Hotel Company where his responsibilities included opening five hotel operations in five years from Philadelphia to Detroit.

Bob and his wife formed a catering company. They provided services for all types of social events including weddings, golf outings along with events for the Philadelphia Eagles and Phillies. Bob relocated to Florida to become the Dining Service Director at Penney Retirement Community. He and his wife Linda have 2 sons.

Chef George McMillan comes to Culinard with over 17 years of experience. Chef McMillan began working as a line cook at Arman's before moving to the Hot & Hot Fish Club, where he was promoted to Sous Chef. After Hot & Hot, he worked as a private chef before opening the Daniel George restaurant as co-owner and executive chef. Chef McMillan is actively involved in civic organizations and has served at the President of the Birmingham Originals. He is also a founding member of the Junior Board of Children’s Hospital and is a professional member of the James Beard Foundation.

Born in Gourdon, France and educated at the famed French National Culinary School in Souillac, Chef Queyriaux adds both classical training and European real-world experience to the Culinard faculty. Beginning as a Commis cook at the Grand Hotel in Souillac and at La Coupole, one of Paris’ largest Brasserie, Chef Queyriaux quickly earned the position of Demi Chef de Partie, Chef de Partie and eventually Sous Chef at L’ auberge de Cendrillion, VIP restaurant for Disneyland Paris. After more than a year at this high volume, traditional French cuisine establishment, Chef Queyriaux became the Sous Chef at Colonel Hatis, an Italian restaurant in Paris. This need for diversity in cooking also led Jerome to the Silver Spur Restaurant, where he was the Sous Chef of this high-end Tex-Mex restaurant right in the heart of Paris.

With a wealth of well-rounded experience, Chef Queyriaux left France to go to the Ukraine where he quickly moved from the Sous Chef position at The Studio in Kiev, to Executive Chef and Restaurant Manager. It is at The Studio where Chef Queyriaux’s experience in International cuisine aided him in the execution of The Studio's menu, which boasts French, Italian, American and Russian cuisine. After three years, Chef Queryriax returned to France and worked as the Executive Chef of Au Fil de L’eau, a specialty fish restaurant in Brantome.

In June of 2000, Chef Queryriaux arrived in Birmingham, Alabama and began working as the Executive Chef at Rue de Provence in Mountain Brook. Chef Queyriaux became a full-time member of the Culinard staff in January of 2004, where his knowledge of classical French and International cuisine is shared with both students and fellow faculty members.

CEC – Certified Executive Chef with the American Culinary Federation

Chef Tarica began his culinary career at Johnson & Wales University in Charleston, South Carolina. After graduating with honors with a degree in Culinary Arts, he moved to Colorado to work at the Keystone Ranch, an all game, fine dining restaurant, which has been rated by the Zagat survey as one of the top restaurants in the Colorado/Utah region.

After leaving Colorado Chef Tarica completed an advanced culinary apprenticeship at the Hotel Airport, in Zurich, Switzerland. The hotel featured French, German, and Japanese restaurants, as well as providing first class meals for selected Transatlantic Swiss Airline’s flights.

Once he returned to the United States, Chef Tarica worked for both the Ritz-Carlton Hotel company, and the Swiss Hotel company both in Atlanta, Georgia, before becoming the Executive Chef at Compass Bank’s Executive dining room in Birmingham, Alabama.

Chef Tarica comes to Culinard after most recently serving as one of the managers/chefs of Horizon’s Continental Cuisine in Amelia Island Florida, which was given 5 stars by the Florida Times-Union, and rated one of the top 25 restaurants on Florida’s First Coast by Jacksonville magazine.

CEC – Certified Executive Chef with the American Culinary Federation

Chef John Wilson began his career in Boston working for a small catering venture part-time while attending college. It soon became evident that culinary arts were to become the driving passion of his life. At the urging of his employer, he sought admission to The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York from which he graduated with honors. He pursued further studies under the tutelage of Chef Michel Gautier at Le Rouzic in Bordeaux, France, awarded one star by the Guide Michelin.

Chef Wilson spent considerable time in Washington, DC, first at The Embassy of the Common Market and later at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where he supervised the first inaugural dinner for President Ronald Reagan and Vice President George Bush for 2500 very special guests. His career then took him to Atlanta, Georgia, where he presided over the kitchens of the trendy Buckhead eatery Rue de Paris, noted for its upscale contemporary French cuisine. He went on to preside over the kitchens at the renowned Abbey, which was recognized with an Ivy Award of Distinction by Restaurants and Institutions Magazine during his tenure there.

Chef Wilson then entered the realm of hotel kitchens when he accepted a position with Plaza Hotel Company to become the Executive Chef at Buckhead’s Terrace Garden Inn, and later at The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. His career has also included a stint as Chef/Partner at a franchisee of The Stage Deli of New York, in Atlanta, Georgia, and a period as general manager of A Bagel Café in Columbus, Georgia, which he designed and opened as a restaurant consultant. Most recently he has been in control of the kitchen reigns at both The Green Hills Grille in Huntsville, Alabama and Harvey’s in Columbus, Mississippi, which are both upscale American cuisine grills.

After a stint in the U.S. Navy, Chef Paul Zito graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and then completed the Chef's Excellence Program at CIA, sponsored by Marriott Hotels & Resorts. He became Executive Sous Chef & Banquet Chef at Turnberry Isle Resort & Country Club in North Miami Beach, and then relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he worked as Assistant Executive Chef at Caesar's Palace and Harrah's Hotel & Casino. He also helped open the Mirage Hotel and Casino as Executive Chef of the upscale restaurant Kokomo's and later moved to Ponte Vedra Beach for chef positions at the Plantation & Sawgrass Golf and Country Clubs. Chef Zito has also worked as Executive Chef and later Director of Food & Beverage at Marriott Hotels & Resorts Inc. before starting his own company, Culinary Creations. Most recently, he worked at the 5-diamond resort Ponte Vedra Inn & Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. He has a great passion for teaching and looks forward to playing a major role in the careers of his students.

CEPC – Certified Executive Pastry Chef with the American Culinary Federation

We are excited to welcome Pastry Chef Jared Danks to the culinary team here at Culinard. Jared is a graduate of the Florida Culinary Institute and later apprenticed at the renowned Kings Bakery in Boca Raton. After completing his education he worked as a Pastry Chef in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. In 1997 Jared moved to Atlanta to accept the position of pastry chef at Riviera under Certified Master Chef Jack Shoop. He then honed his already considerable skills by serving as the assistant to Master Pastry Chef, Chris Northmore, at Cherokee Town Club.

Chef Northmore is one of only eleven ACS Certified Master Pastry Chefs in the country and Jared worked under his tutelage for two years. He then became Executive Pastry Chef at a prestigious private Golf Club in Atlanta. At Culinard, Jared is at the forefront of the Pastry, Baking and Confectionary Arts Program, and is instructing the inaugural first class in Advanced Patisserie skills, as well as being an integral part of the production in our bakery, The Bakery at Culinard.

Chef Matthew Dyer began his career at New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, VT. His love for baking began young, helping his mother bake pies and cakes for Holiday Inn Hotels.

After graduating Culinary School, Chef Dyer stayed at NECI as a Teaching Assistant under Chef Adrian Westrope, a former Pastry Chef for the Queen, where he was responsible for preparing all specialty cakes and wedding cakes for La Brioche Bakery. This is where love of pastry and cakes really took off. Chef Dyer worked as Executive Pastry Chef at Pitcher Inn, a Relais and Chateaux Property, and Bolton Valley Ski Resort, where he was in charge of Bailey's, the fine dining restaurant.

Chef Dyer moved to Alabama to get out of the harsh Northeast Winters. Since moving to Alabama, Chef Dyer has worked at such establishments as danielgeorge, Tria Market, and Icon Restaurant. He also is Personal Chef for some notable figures in the Birmingham area.

CEPC – Certified Executive Pastry Chef with the American Culinary Federation

Chef Thomas Mair followed in the footsteps of his father, Master Chef Richard Mair, after spending his childhood around his family's bakeries in Ascona, Switzerland. At 15 years old Chef Mair entered the Gewerbeschule in Thun Switzerland. There he became a certified Pastry Chef, Confectioner, Baker and Glacier. During this time, he completed his apprenticeship at the Grand Restaurant Schuh in Interlaken, Switzerland, working under two certified Master Chefs. Chef Mair then worked in the Italian and French regions of Switzerland in order to focus on specialties from those areas.

In the Italian region of Switzerland he refined his skills working for the Pasticeria Vanini and in All' Amaretto. He continued his professional career in Basel, Switzerland in the famous Confiserie Brandi, which specializes in over 90 varieties of Pralines and Chocolates. Afterwards, he returned to Ascona as Pastry Chef of All' Amaretto in order to work with his father.

His profession brought him to America where he worked in several pastry shops in Birmingham and Atlanta before being offered a position as Pastry Chef in "The Pastry Chef" in Scottsdale, AZ., preparing wholesale desserts for the 5 star Hotels in Scottsdale, along side Chef Hans Glauser, Bronze Team Medalist in the World Pastry Olympics.

Finally, Thomas returned to Alabama in order to open Mair's Swiss Pastries, wholesaling desserts to area Country Clubs and Hotels. Thomas is very excited about this new stage of his career at the Culinard, and is looking forward to seeing his students from the Culinard being the great chefs of the future.