Lasheeda Perry: A Conversation with the Queen of Flavor

Lasheeda Perry is the pastry chef and owner of Queen of Flavor, a company that specializes in everything from revamping your dessert menu to helping you design and execute your dream dessert menu. Lasheeda has always had a passion for culinary arts, and luckily for the sweet-tooth everywhere, this love has materialized into a successful and rewarding career.  Prior to creating Queen of Flavor, she received her culinary education from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI.  Immediately after graduation, Lasheeda secured an entry level pastry cook position at Four Seasons Resort Dallas. Within five years of beginning her career, Lasheeda would hold the title of Executive Pastry Chef at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Bon Appetit Management Company LinkedIn. Throughout her culinary journey, Lasheeda has received numerous awards and accolades. In 2012, she won season two of Food Network Sweet Genius after proving her skills by overcoming tight time constraints, masterfully incorporating secret ingredients and accommodating larger-than-life requests. That same year, several of Lasheeda's desserts landed on Philadelphia food critic Craig LaBan's coveted Four-Bell Finestlist.  In 2018, she was a finalist on Food Network Best Baker in America, Season 2 where she was named the "Queen of Flavor".  Lasheeda is never the one to pass up a cool opportunity. Last November, she was presented with the chance to take on an iron chef, on Food Network's Beat Bobby Flay, and that she did! Queen of Flavor's pastry services include, menu development, virtual baking classes, R&D development, interim pastry services, pop-ups, and more.  In this episode we discuss: How a high school teacher jump-started Lasheeda's path to a culinary career Her first taste of success: winning a culinary competition and a trip to China How C-CAP helped her land a full-tuition scholarship to Johnson & Wales Lasheeda's first job in the pastry kitchen at the Four Season Hotel in Dallas, TX Her first Executive Pastry Chef position at Bon Appetit Management Company at LinkedIN Landing the position as Executive Pastry Chef at the Four Season Atlanta How she got her first gig on the FoodNetwork and how it felt to beat Bobby Flay Lasheeda's best advice for those entering the industry And much more! And much more! Sponsored by Ghirardelli Chocolate Company Ghirardelli Chocolate Company's Professional Products Division now offers their Premium Chocolate in convenient 5lb. bags. This exceptional product portfolio includes their new non-dairy 72% and 52% Cacao Dark Chocolate Chips. The full line makes it easier for operators to enjoy the benefits of baking cookies, brownies, cakes, molding truffles, filling tarts, or topping mochas. For more information and to request a free sample please visit ghirardelli.com/5lb or email [email protected].