Meet the Chef
Hi! I’m Doug!
My Grandpa Hunter started working in a bakery at the age of 15 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His love for baking came from his mother. Grandpa Hunter lived and worked in Cedar Rapid’s until he was drafted to the WWII efforts. After the war he went home and established and owned Hunters Bakery. Later he moved to La Mesa, California and opened The Country Bake Shoppe. His daughters; my mother Kathy and Aunt Velvet learned the art of running a bakery and business.
My parents met in England, where they were stationed while serving in the US Airforce. They soon moved my younger sister and I, to Belleville, Il where they got out of the military to establish a more stable life for their family. My mother started working for Wood Bakery in O’Fallon, IL, where she decorated cakes for 37 years. She was know for her efficiency and speed. So I guess you can say baking is in my blood.
I joined the Army at 17, met my wife in Jacksonville, Florida and started our own family while traveling where the Army chose our home to be next. I retired after 20 years and joined the SCUC school district as a Special Needs Aide.
I graduated from Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts with Cum Laude Honors. After much encouragement from my wife, Rowan, our family, friends and colleagues, I am happily diving into my first culinary endeavor.