Chef Stephany Buswell is a Certified Master Baker and has worked in the baking industry for over 30 years. During this time she perfected the art of cake decorating, pastry baking, wedding cakes, and bread baking. She operated her own bakery in the Santa Cruz area and has been both the production manager and operations manager of two of Santa Cruz ’s premiere scratch bakeries. She managed the kitchen at The Buttery for ten years from 1991 until 2001. Then she became the operations manager for Beckmann’s quaint Westside neighborhood bakery until she acquired the full time teaching job at the Professional Culinary Institute in 2005.

She began her training in natural foods baking and then pursued a career in European style baking by working with Gayle Ortiz of Gayle’s Bakery in Capitola in the early 80's. The next step was developing her own style by working as a pastry chef in several of Santa Cruz’s high end restaurants of the time.

With her amassed knowledge she opened her own bakery in 1985 and at that time won a professional competition held by “Monterey Life” magazine for the best dessert in the Monterey Bay. She remained in business until the earthquake of 1989 when the historic building she occupied was destroyed.

Later in 1989, Stephany became a baking, chocolate and cake decorating instructor at Cabrillo College’s culinary arts department. She found a passion for teaching by giving back all the years of experience she has gathered. Now as a full time instructor in Pastry Arts at the French Culinary Institute, she has realized a dream.