About Chef Shop

 
 

Chef Nancy Stark

FOUNDER, PROFESSIONAL PASTRY CHEF

I graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute with a BFA in Printmaking, accidentally fell into the restaurant business and never looked back. What started as a lark turned into a career in the food industry which has spanned more than 30 years: partner in two local restaurants, the West Side Café and the Boulevard Café, pastry chef at Venue, living in New York City for 3 years, working at Le Cirque, Osteria del Circo, and teaching in the Pastry Department at the French Culinary Institute, all under the supervision of Master Pastry Chefs Jacques Torres and Dieter Schorner.

After two internships in Europe I returned to Kansas City where I worked as Executive Chef of the Culinary Center of Kansas City for 8 years. When I left that position in 2006 I did all sorts of things to pay the bills, including traveling on trains as an Executive Business Car Chef with BNSF Railways, freelance catering, and teaching lots of cooking classes.

But what I always wanted was to be able to make something beautiful that people would want to buy. Something that would make people happy. I also wanted a workshop or studio where I could make those happy things. A girl called me out of the blue, in 2008, and asked if I could make her a wedding cake. Wedding Cake! And that is how Chef Shop began…

I have returned to my first love, baking, and making people happy with great cake and desserts. Everything is made from scratch and my combination of art training and pastry chef skills make it possible for you to have the delicious, beautiful cake of your dreams.