Born in Swansea, Wales and raised in Dunchurch, England, Chef Becky Holmes began baking with her grandmother before she could even reach the kitchen counter. She would help pick rhubarb and gooseberries from the garden, and was sent to collect eggs from the chicken coop each morning, before dragging over a dining room chair to help make a crumble, scones, or tea cakes.
A few years later, Chef Becky relocated to Ann Arbor, Michigan with her family and continued to bake at home, and later began working in the pastry kitchen at the famed Zingerman’s Bakehouse. As she pursued a degree in Brain Behavior and Cognitive Science at the University of Michigan she often spent weekends baking cakes and cupcakes for her sorority sisters, and dreamed of turning her passion into a career.
A few months later, Becky moved to Chicago, Illinois to attend The French Pastry School and began working at Blue Plate, an esteemed member of the International Catering Association, assisting Chef Ashley Harger with dessert production and execution for events across the city. She later played an integral role in the opening of a new bakery location for Molly’s Cupcakes, developing new menu items and creating custom cakes along the way, before joining the culinary team at the Virgin Hotel Chicago. Chef Becky overhauled the existing pastry program from the ground up, expanding menu offerings in all food and beverage outlets, combining fresh, seasonal ingredients with the brand’s cheeky and “off-beat” vibe – particularly the hotel’s weekly boozy tea service.
Drawn by the innovative local food scene, temperate climate, and bountiful coffee options, Chef Becky relocated from Chicago to Portland with her husband and two dogs in the fall of 2018. They often spend their days off hiking Mount Hood or the Gorge, and evenings checking out bars and restaurants. She aims to combine both innovative and classical techniques with local ingredients to bring an already successful pastry program at the Oregon Convention Center to the next level.
Learn more about Oregon Convention Center's catering partners pacificwild and their deliciously fresh take on Pacific Northwest flavor.
About the Oregon Convention Center
The Oregon Convention Center is owned by Metro and managed by the Metro Exposition and Recreation Commission. OCC is a sustainably operated LEED® Platinum facility that hosts groups from around the world and brings millions of dollars into the Portland and Oregon economy.