Jen Heide is the Assistant Pastry Chef at The Everglades Club in Palm Beach, Florida, where she leads a large pastry team and helps oversee bread production, viennoiserie, and fine pastry. A graduate of the Florida Culinary Institute with 15 years of professional experience, Jen is a Certified Bread Baker, a Certified Executive Pastry Chef, and a Certified Baker.  

Though her title is pastry chef, she’s a bread baker at heart and always looking for ways to grow. In 2024, she earned her CBB credential through the Guild, approaching the process with deep curiosity, dedication, and a desire to lead by example. We spoke with Jen about her career, her love for stollen, and what certification has meant to her and her team.

Tell us a little about your path into baking. What drew you to it, and how did you get started? 

Ever since I was a little girl, cooking was my passion. I grew up in an Italian house, so I was helping my mom cook before I could even reach the countertop. At 11 years old, she got permission for me to take community classes at Florida Culinary Institute, which is where I took my first baking class. It was love at first chocolatey mess! 

I never looked back and eventually graduated with three degrees from that same school. I found many great mentors there who really helped guide my career to this day. 

Where are you working now, and what does your current role involve? 

I’m currently the Assistant Pastry Chef at The Everglades Club in Palm Beach, Florida. This is my 11th season at the club, and it’s where I’ve really honed my skills as a pastry chef and baker. 

We have a large pastry operation, and I supervise a staff of 18 pastry chefs. I’m responsible for AM production and for all products going to the restaurant onsite including breads and a nightly dessert buffet. 

My absolute favorite thing to make is our Christmas Stollen! I get very overexcited about it every year and always have at least four in my home freezer. It’s a beautiful mix of spices, candied fruits, and almond paste. I’m also really proud of the viennoiserie program I’ve helped build, as well as our rotating specialty breads. 

What made you decide to pursue certification through the Guild? 

I’ve wanted to do the Certified Bread Baker exam for a few years now. A friend of mine, Raymond Blanchard, took the exam a few years ago and I remember watching him practice for it. I was in awe. I knew then that one day I would take this exam. 

Beyond this exam, I’m really big into certifications. I also hold my Certified Executive Pastry Chef with the ACF and I’m a Certified Baker with the RBA. 

I’m not a competitive person at all, so I really enjoy certifications because they’re a great way to push yourself to evaluate your skills against the industry standard, learn, and grow without the competition aspect. At certifications, everyone is rooting for you to do your best. 

How did you prepare for the exam? Any challenges or surprising discoveries along the way? 

I prepared by going in and making as much bread as I could. I did about ten full practice runs, plus a month of baking smaller batches, just a few breads at a time, while taking detailed notes and looking for ways to improve. 

I learned a lot about myself, the baking process, and about each bread individually. I struggled the most with my baguettes, but by test time they were one of the breads I was most proud of. 

I called on all of my mentors to look at my breads while I was practicing, they truly are the best! 

What did it feel like to go through the testing process? 

The Guild was really good at answering questions before the exam, which helped me feel prepared. On exam day, you start with a baker’s math test, then you get a kitchen tour and prep time to make your preferments. The next morning, you begin production. 

It really was a pleasant experience. The judges were wonderful and very supportive throughout the exam. I had the pleasure of taking it alongside two awesome fellow bakers, and it was cool to look around and see each person’s unique take on the same breads. 

How has certification impacted your work, confidence, or goals? 

It reminds me that if you work really hard at something, the hard work pays off. 

It’s helped me feel more confident in my work, especially when I’m helping my team troubleshoot or teaching them to become better bread bakers. 

Any advice you’d give to bakers considering certification? 

I will always say—go for it! Setting a goal and going for it makes you better at your craft. You’ll learn so much about yourself, your time management, your organization, and your technical skills. 

Most importantly, find a mentor! Find someone you can show your products to and get feedback from. It’s such an important part of the process, and one of the keys to success.