Erin Kobler

Erin Kobler


Executive Pastry Chef at Sepia & PROXI


Be brilliant at the basics. Basic techniques and skills are at the foundation of everything we do. If you can consistently execute those skills, it’ll show through in your food.


EXPERIENCE
EDUCATION
An important lesson I’ve learned is to write everything down! Take notes, ask questions and pick the minds of the chefs around you. Be a sponge and soak up as much information you can when you’re starting out. You can carry that with you for the rest of your career.
My time spent at Bellemore was the most formative for my career. I started as a pastry cook on their opening team, grew into the Pastry Sous Chef role and was running their pastry program by the end of my time there. My early days at Bellemore were spent really pushing myself to refine my skills as a cook. During my time there, I found great mentors in both Chef Jimmy Papadopoulos and Chef Leigh Omilinsky. They gave me a platform to refine my skill set as a leader while encouraging me to find my own style and identity as a chef.
I’ve been drawn to the industry since early on in my life. My first job as a 15 year old was working at a bowling alley in my home town running their various parties and events. I was hooked on the fact that I was involved in helping people celebrate some of life’s biggest moments and found a fundamental love for good, intentional hospitality. When I started pastry school at Kendall, I knew right off the bat that I was where I was supposed to be. At the end of the program, I had a Chef Instructor that had a reputation of being extremely tough. Chef Masuda’s class pushed me and opened my eyes to what pastry can look like in a fine dining restaurant setting. So much of how I operate, organize and how I think about food stems from what she taught me.
I continue to educate myself by collaborating with those around me. There is always something to be learned if you take the time to listen. Some of my favorite dishes have come about by bouncing ideas off my peers and my team.
I always have a bowl scraper and retractable X-Acto knife on me in the kitchen. Clean bowls and clean-cut tape edges always!
Currently, I’ve been loving “A Good Bake” by Melissa Weller. It’s an overall a phenomenal resource. A few of my other favorite books are "Frozen Desserts" by Francisco Migoya, "BREAD: A Bakers Book of Techniques and Recipes" by Jeffery Hamelman and "Tartine: A Classic Revisited" by Elisabeth M. Prueitt & Chad Robertson.
When hiring, I look for people that are open minded and are eager to learn. If you believe in the work we are doing at the restaurant and have a passion for pastry, specific skills can be taught. An individual with a sense of humility, treats those around them with kindness and respect are also important to me.
I find inspiration in almost anything – my own dining experiences, nature, social media, art, my peers. I do a ton of reading of both pastry and savory focused books. I like to take savory components and spin them into a pastry application. I have an ongoing note in my phone where I jot down flavor combinations, ingredients that are foreign to me, plating ideas, dessert concepts, you name it. It’s something I’m always coming back to reference.
Organization, attention to detail along with an understanding of how ingredients function are key skills. Things don’t always go as planned. In fact, anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Being able to creatively problem solve will get you far.

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