bake - July 2019 - 31

Wressell, who also manufactured pan goods to bring with him
from Los Angeles, further explained that there would be no
way to produce intricate laminated dough pastries in the industrial kitchen at Churchill Downs. "We made a little pastry area
of our own. I brought a lot of small wares with me.
"They are feeding 100,000 people a day from this kitchen," he
adds. "We were doing this delicate work in and around cooks
making 6,000 pounds of beef, bringing in pallets of asparagus and pallets of other products. Two things were happening
simultaneously that are incongruent; they don't go together. It's
quite a thing to behold."
Niedermyer led the Penn College contingent, which this year
included 28 students who are hired by Levy for a week-long
paid internship. The ﬁrst day is travel, followed by ﬁve days of
on-site work that gets longer each day (culminating in 16 hours
on Derby Day).
"We have students who go back year after year. They want to
go back for the incredible experience," Niedermyer says. "It's a
win-win-win for Penn College, Levy and Guittard."
Also instrumental from Guittard is Laura Tornichio, who is

Breakfast offerings included quiche, viennoiserie and hot

Guittard's northeast territory sales manager and accom-

chocolate. In the afternoon, they served cookies, candies, tarts,

plished team builder. "For this year, production was happen-

verrines and small plated desserts.

ing weeks and months in advance," she explains. "It's been
a wonderful collaboration over the years. Three years ago,

Multi-color croissants were among the highlights. The pastry

Guittard Chocolate joined the project as equal partners with

chefs shaped croissant dough into "coils" ﬁlled with raspberry

Penn College.

brioche and ﬂavored on top with white chocolate raspberry
streusel. "It was very tasty," Wressell says.

"We received positive feedback in year one, and they appreciated the extra level of hospitality. Then it was, how can we

"People are going crazy for premium quality products," Nieder-

make it bigger?" Tornichio explained. "Donald is capable of

myer says. "It's pretty cool."

many things, so we knew we could certainly up the game."
A chef/instructor at Penn College, Niedermyer supervises
This year, Wressell wrote the menu and worked with Johnson

students and alumni each year at the Derby, as well as assisting

and Niedermyer to prepare viennoiserie, desserts, candies and

David Danielson, executive chef of Churchill Downs. He collabo-

other creations for guests dining in the premium foodservice

rated with Wressell on concept development, dessert menu

suites, most notably The Mansion.

writing and execution of production/guest experiences.

"The Mansion is the most exclusive venue of the Derby," Nieder-

Niedermyer also collaborated with Guittard this year to create

myer explains. "It's a pure piece of Americana. Donald Wressell

a Bourbon and Chocolate experience for visiting Taste of Derby

came to The Mansion a year ago and this year brought along

chefs. "We've created candies and chocolates as gifts for Mansion

Josh Johnson. We added an awesome selection of viennoiserie,

guests, as well as the Taste of Derby dessert, which was served to

cookies, pie dough, tarts. It was really pretty impressive."

1,000-plus guests off-site at the KFC Yum! Center," he says.

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