The Phoenician Pastry Team
Think about the last time you dined at The Phoenician. Perhaps you delighted in a fluffy muffin during breakfast, or the crispy bread of an artisan sandwich at Mowry & Cotton. Maybe you indulged in the decadent desserts at Afternoon Tea or the sweet treats from The Marketplace.
With seven dining outlets, countless catered events and thousands of visitors every year, it is no secret that the iconic Phoenician has an extraordinary culinary team that creates the memorable dining experiences found at Arizona’s premier luxury resort destination. However, many guests may be shocked to learn that the AAA Five Diamond resort has its own in-house pastry team, separate from the restaurant chefs and kitchen staff, that plays a major role in the culinary department.
THE PASTRY TEAM MAKES 90% OF ALL PASTRY, BREAKFAST BAKERIES AND BREAD FOR THE ENTIRE RESORT.
From the mini fruit-tarts served at Afternoon Tea, to the buttery dinner rolls at J&G Steakhouse, the pastry team provides almost every culinary outlet on property with different items to complete their various menus, including all restaurants, banquet events, The Canyon Suites and more.
In addition, the pastry team accepts personalized orders to create novelty cakes, specialty desserts, and more for individual guests, groups, events, etc.
THERE ARE OVER 198 DIFFERENT ITEMS THAT THE PASTRY TEAM CREATES.
When combining the menu items and pastry needs from all restaurants and outlets on property, the pastry team is responsible for creating 103 different items. These items can be ordered daily, ranging in quantity from 0 to 250 pieces of some items.
Banquets and events are an additional duty for the pastry team, with 95 items on the menu that could be ordered by a guest, host or meeting planner. Based on the season and individual occasion, the pastry team could end up baking these various items, with the quantity of each item possibly reaching into the thousands.
THE PASTRY TEAM CONSISTS OF 21 PEOPLE, INCLUDING 2 MANAGERS, 4 SUPERVISORS AND 15 ASSOCIATES.
They have associates with experience at The Phoenician ranging from 3 months to 29 years.
On a regular basis, not including peak season or special events, their team operates in three shifts every day of the year including weekends, holidays, and birthdays. The earliest shift starts at 4:00 a.m. in order to prep for breakfast and daytime pastry needs, and the last shift leaves at 10:30 p.m. to ensure all evening pastry needs are accounted for.
ASK THE PASTRY TEAM:
Q: Do you have any outrageous culinary numbers/statistics to share?
A: For one week we order 180 pounds of butter and 400 pounds of sugar.
Q: Do you taste-test your own creations?
A: Yes, we do complete research and development on all items before they go on any menu. The team continually tests items as we make them.
Q: What are the “fan favorites” of the resort?
A: It varies from week to week, but the main contender is the Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookie from The Marketplace.
