Gwen Grande, head bread baker & Serious Pie chef

How long have you been baking?

Eight years

But you're so young! How did you get started?

I started right out of high school. I attended culinary school and started baking then. I grew up cooking. Me and my dad would make our own bread, pasta and sausages. In high school I helped my friends' mom catering on the side and she suggested I go to culinary school, so I did. (Thanks, Marsha!)

Did you ever think you'd be slinging pizza pies for a living?

No. Definitely not

What have you learned working over at Serious Pie?

How to make really good pizza. Funny thing is, in school I had a brown bag final (where culinary students get a bunch of ingredients handed to them and they have to make something straight away). In my bag I had a bunch of ingredients that I thought ‘Man, this would be great pizza.' It was a horrible flop, though. My teachers were not impressed. It's ironic that now I make really good pizza.

What's your favorite thing to bake?

I love making ficelle and ciabatta. I could make those 2 breads all day and be really happy.

You're getting married soon. Do you know what you'll serve for dinner?

We're going to do a French Rivieria theme and serve big seafood platters, raw oysters, bread, cheese, wine & lots of booze.

If you could be anywhere else right now, where would you be?

On vacation in the Bahamas in the sunshine with the salt water ocean.