Meet Chef Ryan Young

Born in Texas with Minnesota Roots

  Ryan was born in Texas on Galveston Island, a great culinary hotspot on the Gulf Coast. However, Ryan has always called Minnesota home. He attended high school in Bloomington, MN, and spent weekends in Hastings, MN. In 2017, Ryan returned to Minnesota and enjoys spending time reconnecting with family and friends. 

See you when I get back!

 Living in several places around the world has been a crucial step in this talented chef's skill set. Only a few days after graduating from school, Ryan boarded a plane and started his journey in Houston, Texas. At the Historic Houston Country Club under the renowned Chef Fritz Gitschner CMC, Ryan gained a passion for organization and extreme attention to detail. Ryan was then hand-nominated by Chef Douglas Simmonds and began working for the McNair Family at their new NFL team, the Houston Texans. This was a great entryway into high-end and high-volume luxury dining experiences. Spending every game in the owner's suite, Ryan was able to hone his gift of gab amongst the elite. 

Island Time

 Shortly after assisting the catering team for the NFL Superbowl in 2004, Ryan set sail—literally—for the US Virgin Islands and a little 300-room Starwood Westin Resort on the island of St. John. Ryan followed and joined Chef Douglas Simmonds he was mentored closely to learn the ins and outs of the resort's 100% scratch baking department and skilled culinary team. Every Saturday night on the Island buffet, Ryan would prepare batches of Banana Fosters. The Island years were formative not only in culinary skills but also marked the first time Ryan moved out of a family home, saying, "No worries, it's only 1,845 miles away." Sun, boats, and beach smiles ruled Ryan's world for several years in the Caribbean. 

A Change in...Everything!

 Answering the call from a German headhunter and now lifelong friend, Uwe Ebert, who was looking for a Chef with high-volume cooking experience, Ryan entertained the thought of traveling to the Middle East for a job interview. Several weeks later, he found himself dining at a Paris food stand eating a warm croissant on a layover to the Kingdom of Bahrain. Ryan accepted the job and, within a month, was living near the Grand Mosque in Manama, Bahrain. Adjusting to the time change, he could hear the soon-tuned-out call to prayer that blared from loudspeakers across the street. 

The Royal Treatment

 Ryan's position in the Middle East involved working for the Al Khalifa Royal Family at the Bahrain International Circuit and the palace of the King. The team of 30 plus cooks was on call 24 hours a day, working in shifts and some days for up to 20 hours for bigger events. There was no Department of Labor to save Ryan here. It became a new normal, and the loss of sleep became regular. Trips with armed guards to the markets and being ushered through rooms and passageways in the building to stay hidden were all part of the day-to-day goings-on. They even prepared for a catered meal for 250 people only to have the King cancel last minute (one hour before) and take everyone on his private jet to another nearby country for dinner. The stay-behind staff were the ones to eat like kings that evening. 

Soccer Goaaaaaals and Michelin Stars!

 While working for the Royal Family, Uwe, the now friend, recommended Ryan come work for a German company, Kafer, in Munich for the World Cup Soccer games. Ryan accepted the offer and again found himself on a jet bound for another country. Working on culinary logistics plans in the months before the big world soccer tournament and bouncing between games to ensure the proper execution of the menus, the month-long event came to an end. However, Ryan still had a visa for Germany and the urge to stay. He was able to join the team at Zum Lowen (The Lion), a small 10-table, One Star Michelin restaurant. Ryan learned German and the art of making a new menu daily based on the morning market walks with the Chef, with farmers delivering live fowl and choosing the best out of five pigs before processing them. It was an experience that would never leave his mind. 

Texas Rebound

 Back in the States, Ryan worked for a Country Club in The Woodlands, Texas. With several outlets, he helped the bakery team with daily activities and navigated the economic ups and downs of 2007 and 2008. The Club eventually closed temporarily due to loss of membership. That's when Ryan took the bull by the horns and started his own baking business. 

Yummy in the Tummy

 Yummy Tummy Pastries, founded in 2009 in Humble, TX, grew to 3 stores. It was awarded multiple awards like BEST BAKERY, BEST STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE, BEST CAKE SHOP in Houston. Ryan and his team grew a small bakery into a destination that folks planned trips around. Starting with Chocolate Dipped Strawberries all the way to full selections in several cases on display and making hundreds of Wedding Days and Quinceañeras memorable. Proms to Charity events booked the staff 7 days a week. When approached by a competitor to take over the bakery chain he had created, he jumped at the chance to get back home to Minnesota while leaving a legacy still intact for the clients and employees he grew to love. 

Loons always come back to the same lake!

 Back in Minnesota in 2018, Ryan loves spending time with family and friends. He consulted for a brief time for American Blue Ribbon Holdings in Chaska then joined the staff at the JW Marriott in Bloomington as the bakery supervising lead, then moving into the kitchen again as a Banquet Assistant Sous Chef. Depending on how you look at it, COVID was a blessing in disguise for Ryan, opening his eyes to new adventures after shutting down the operations for the JW Marriott. Ryan moved to Hastings and is ready to continue his love for Banana Fosters like the good old days! 

Here's to all the adventures to come!!