Ricardo Abbott, Consultant

Ricardo spent five years as the Executive Chef and Nutrition Center Manager for Saint Paul Public Schools. During his tenure, Ricardo directed the overall operation of the Nutrition Center-Central Kitchen, the warehouse, and distribution operations that provide meals for all schools in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). He participated in strategic planning and procedure development and improvements as a member of the Nutrition Services administration team and served as the head of the menu committee and culinary team which created recipes to be used district-wide. Prior to this role, he spent more than a decade as the Nutrition and Culinary Services Operations Manager in Minnesota Public Schools.

Ricardo is an advanced food production expert who understands how to maximize the benefits of advanced food production without limiting quality or food safety. He also lends his expertise to developing effective and engaging training programs to elevate foodservice staff's culinary skills. He understands how to deftly navigate the challenges that arise during culinary trainings in a group setting and finds solutions to ensure all participants succeed.