Ally Shaner
Class of 2018, Culinary Arts
Current Job Title: Garde Manger or Line Cook
Current Employer: Omni William Penn
Please provide a brief job description and list any awards or recognitions you have received:
I work at the Omni William Penn in Pittsburgh. Each day, I rotate between all stations in the kitchen to make sure beautiful and delicious dishes are served to every guest who chooses to dine with us. I was awarded the “Omni Star Associate Award” for the year 2019!
Explain any interesting projects that you have worked on:
I have taken part in several upscale wine dinners and feasts at my work. Every holiday we reveal a unique menu to spoil our guests, cater city events like the giant gingerbread hotel for Light Up Night, create special menus for important sports games, and even cater and take care of film crews that come to Pittsburgh like Netflix. We host politicians, celebrities, world leaders, and the average Pittsburgher with a universal and refined flare.
What did you learn at PTC that still inspires you to this day?
Much of my culinary prowess came from the wonderful staff of chefs at PTC. I can never thank them enough for all that they have taught me They provided me with the tools to be able to achieve what I have already achieved and the drive to strive towards what I still want to conquer. They showed me how to perform while encouraging my own imagination to set myself apart in my field.
What and who were your biggest influencers as a PTC student?
Besides my wonderful instructors, what influenced me the most was my fellow classmates. We mulled ideas together, helped each other when needed, and pushed each other as hard as we could to strengthen our own skills. In the classroom they were my worst of enemies and my best of friends, and the underlying sense of friendly competition heightened the learning experience for all of us.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
In our field it is very hard to find good workers disciplined enough to stay in a kitchen when the circumstances and difficulties become great. However, (while talking to my fellow alumni and celebrating their accomplishments with them), it is my observation that PTC is creating a great work force that is able to take those circumstances or difficulties and solve them, forever changing the industry standards for the better.