Two for one

Because, if anything, I’m a sucker for the science and research Justin brings to the table but when Julie walks in with her key lime pie cookies from scratch, it’s not a fair fight – we’ll call time out every time.

So what’s our supply development director’s wife doing at the office anyway? Better yet why’s a gal with a masters in economics wearing a chef coat?

To clear the air, Julie, just like Justin, works for the brand full time, the former as CAB’s one and only pastry chef.

So what’s a pastry chef to do at the world’s largest beef brand?

The answer: Deliver quality. Just like the rest of us.

“There’s just a vision that everything should be top notch,” Julie says. “There’s no reason to have the best beef out there and have anything else be secondary. Everything should rise up to that same level.”

Certainly the bread does. Pun intended.

Staying true to her education Julie relates her care for the five artisan bread starters she began from scratch to the daily requirements of livestock. Those breads accompany all of the Culinary Center’s meals – she’ll even make all the hamburger buns from scratch, but not before an assortment of goods for breakfast.

Julie, an animal science grad with the masters I mentioned, decided decades ago that she enjoyed working with her hands, bringing art to the table. In Illinois she’d launched a successful culinary business and later the family (together the couple has three girls) relocated to Ohio.

With their daughters in school it wasn’t long before Julie began assisting front of house at the Culinary Center. Being the hard working, creative person she is, in no time she had noticed a need and offered to assist the chefs.

“I’d just say ‘hey do you want me to make something for that,’ and they’d ask me to do something and they just started asking me to do more and more things.”

Now her days are jam packed, full of requests to provide ingredients for the chefs experimenting with new recipes or answer questions from the many who walk through the Culinary Center doors.

Chefs or ranchers, consumers or foodservice partners, it’s a change of pace when they learn that the hands preparing their food understand the rancher’s world, offering a different perspective.

It’ll always be about the beef and the ranchers who raise it but Julie is just one example of the brand’s desire to offer quality in every area.

And, Julie and Justin, they’re quality indeed.

Thanks for allowing me to tell your story,

Laura

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