Culinard - Culinary Arts School Faculty
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 George Bush and Ravi Gandhi (Indian President). 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 to Raffles Hotel in Singapore, one of the highest-ranking hotels in the world. Here he worked with many top chefs such as Alain Ducasse, Joel Robuchon, Charlie Trotter, Michel Trois Gros to name but a few.
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 metals 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.
Was named one of the Top Ten Pastry Chefs in the United States in 2006 and was a Guest Chef for the largest Wine and Food show that was held at Walt Disney World in 2006.
The knowledge, experience, professionalism and overall excellence that Chef Osborne brings to Culinard students and to the institution as a whole is priceless.
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 facult
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.
Chef Brian Taylor started his culinary career while attending school in Auburn, AL. What started as a job to earn a little extra money soon became the focus of his attention. Chef Taylor was promoted to his first Executive Chef position at the age of 25 and for the first time knew that he had found the correct career path.
After managerial/chef stints in Auburn, he moved to Gulf Shores and accepted a managerial/chef role at The Restaurant at the Beach Club, then on to Nashville and The Midtown Cafe. After 8 years in the industry Chef Taylor felt he was missing a formal culinary education and made the decision to attend Culinard. After graduation he went to work at The Country Club of Birmingham as Executive Sous Chef and also took on the role of Interim Executive Chef.
Since arriving at Culinard, Chef Taylor has earned the title of Certified Executive Chef through the American Culinary Federation. Chef Taylor is also involved with consulting and owns a nationally distributed gourmet foods company.
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.
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 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.
Located in Birmingham, Alabama
and Jacksonville, Florida
