Born and raised in northeast Ohio, Matthew Ratliff earned an Associate Degree in Baking and Pastry at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. Chef Ratliff stayed on at the CIA for a one-year fellowship as a Teaching Assistant. He completed his internship at the Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Beach, California, which included working in their five-star, five-diamond restaurant, as well as all other areas of the resort. After his time in sunny California, he returned to the East Coast to become the Assistant Pastry Chef at Little Palm Island Resort & Spa on Little Torch Key, Florida accessible only by boat or seaplane. His next stop would be at Desserts International in Exton, Pennsylvania, where he worked under CMPC (Certified Master Pastry Chef) and owner Gunther Heiland. Desserts International is a wholesale bakery specializing in European style wedding cakes and extravagant desserts that are supplied to top restaurants, casinos, and hotels nationwide.

Chef Ratliff also made his mark at The Inn at Perry Cabin, in St. Michaels, Maryland, a five-star hotel and resort. There he provided custom wedding cakes and creative desserts at the award-winning Sherwood's Landing Restaurant. In October 2007, Chef Ratliff began working at The Everglades Club under CMPC Chris Northmore. Matthew took over as the Pastry Chef at the end of 2019, and currently still works at the club as the Executive Pastry Chef.

Throughout his career, Chef Ratliff has worked with three CMPC's in the United States: Gunther Heiland, Chris Northmore, Frank Volkomer. In addition, he has worked with Stéphane Glacier, MOF (Meilleur Ouvrier de France Pâtissier). Matthew has also been a contributor to Pastry Arts Magazine, and the Pastry Arts Summit.

Chef Ratliff has earned several high ranked pastry certifications: WCMPC (World Certified Master Pastry Chef), CMB (Certified Master Baker) and CEPC (Certified Executive Pastry Chef). In 2006, Matthew started competing in nationally ranked pastry competitions, winning several, including FoodNetwork's Sugar Impossible Challenge and the Flying Sugar Challenge.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How a fun job at a diner inspired his career in the culinary industry
• Studying pastry at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park
• Externship at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Beach and a job at Little Palm Island Resort in FL
• Matt's big challenge: working for and learning from Gunther Heiland at Desserts International
• What it was like to compete in three FoodNetwork competitions
• A typical day for Matt at The Everglades Club
• Matt's top kitchen tips and advice for aspiring pastry chefs
• And much more!