As we continue to navigate representation in the food industry, we must recognize the real and good work being done. Take Lasheeda Perry, who is not just good, but really good. This Executive Pastry Chef of the Four Seasons Hotel in Atlanta has been working hard to get where where she is today. We had the opportunity to sit down with her and learn more about her story.
In March, Perry was named one of Johnson & Wales University’s 2018 Distinguished Visiting Chefs. Perry was the first in her family to attend college. Her original plans were to become a lawyer, but food kept calling her name. So, she pursued her pastry degree after taking cooking classes in high school. Affectionately remembered by her teachers, Perry was a curious student, interested in learning more about “the sweet life.”
About Johnson & Wales Distinguished Visiting Chef Program
Since 1979, the College of Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University has honored industry professionals through its Distinguished Visiting Chef program. During the academic year, three internationally recognized chefs visit the university to share their knowledge with students in the College of Culinary Arts.
As the 182nd Distinguished Visiting Chef, Perry will demonstrate her culinary skills to faculty, staff and students and discuss her pathway to success. Johnson & Wales will also be presenting a scholarship in her name to a deserving student. The selected student will assist Perry in her demonstration. An honor for both the student and Perry.
Life in the Industry
Perry considers herself a lifelong learner, a humbling skill for any professional. She’s eager to grow in the industry. After graduating from Johnson & Wales in 2008, Perry went on to travel the world and pursue a career at the Four Seasons. She hoped to become an executive pastry chef for the company. After a few years there, she left and briefly worked in corporate dining as the Executive Pasty Chef for Bon Appétit Management Company. “I loved worked [at Bon Appétit ], but I wasn’t being challenged in the way I wanted to,” she says. “We were a team of 12 making thousands of pastries a day and I wanted to move closer to home.”
A friend reached out to her with an opportunity to return to the Four Seasons. This time, the opportunity was in Atlanta and she happily obliged. “It was a full circle moment. I started [at the Four Seasons] as an entry level pastry chef in 2008,” she recalls. “My goal was to become the executive pastry chef back then and here was the opportunity to do that.”
Currently, Perry is making it her business to “stand out for a reason.” With desserts like her Pineapple Ice Box Bar, Dulce de Leche and Mudslide, she’s doing just that. If you find yourself in Atlanta, stop in to see how Perry is making her mark on the world with her phenomenal desserts.
