Suzanne Neuberth always wanted to cook. She had wanted to go to cooking school directly out of high school but was eventually persuaded not to by well-meaning family and friends. Instead, she found herself working in a variety of jobs, including hotel service, university meeting planning, and hotel sales. Ten years later, tired of the monotony of a desk job, she decided to finally fulfill her life-long dream of professional cooking. When she found The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, she knew she had found the place that would help make it happen. “It was a perfect fit,” Suzanne said. “The program is what you make of it, and I worked hard to learn as much as I could.” She took her studies seriously and as a result found it enormously helpful in jump-starting her cooking career.

Soon after starting at The CSCA, Suzanne was hired at Caffè Umbra in Boston, where she spent a year under chef/owner Laura Brennan, learning the ropes of working in a professional kitchen. “Chef Brennan loves to teach and mold her cooks, and I was very willing to learn. It was an invaluable experience for me,” Suzanne said. Starting on the garde manger station, responsible for all hot and cold appetizers as well as desserts, Suzanne eventually moved to the sauté station, where she handled all fish dishes.

Shortly after graduation, Suzanne joined the team at Via Matta, where she worked all the stations. “Via Matta was a good place to refine my skills,” she said. “I really had to focus on speed and knife skills, which are key in a busy kitchen.” Looking to further her on-the-job education,

Suzanne ultimately joined the kitchen at Hamersley’s Bistro, under Chef/Owner Gordon Hamersley, where she’s been working for the past year. “Gordon is a real teacher. I’ve learned so much from working with him. It’s an ideal set-up for me. Really a perfect fit.”

At Hamersley’s, Suzanne started out on the garde manger station but was soon promoted to the grill. “I really love it, even though I burn myself all the time. As any of my classmates will tell you, I’m the Goldilocks of burns,” she said. Referring to her upcoming wedding this summer, she laughed, noting that she’s forcing herself to wear gloves so she doesn’t walk down the aisle covered in burn marks.

Suzanne is glad for her time at The CSCA and happy that she made the leap into professional cooking, even if it took her a while to get there. “Cooking is my passion; it’s what I do. I really love my job, burns and all. And having Gordon as a mentor has made a huge difference for me in my career. I’ll be able to use what I’ve learned at Hamersley’s—and Caffè Umbra and Via Matta—for the rest of my career. I feel very lucky.” Visit Suzanne at Hamersley’s Bistro, 553 Tremont Street, in Boston, 617.423.2700; she’d love to see you!