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For Chris Biard, his destiny was determined at a very young age. 

Biard was born into a family of food service professionals, so it was no surprise that he would grow up wanting to work in a kitchen. His parents, Bill and Linda Biard of Claremore, managed the Golden Corral for many years and currently own the Hammett House Restaurant. Young Chris grew up in the restaurant and started bussing tables when he was 12. He worked his way up the job chain and was soon cooking, a job he really got into.  

When he became a senior in high school, he went to Northeast Technology Center’s South Campus between Pryor and Claremore and enrolled in the Culinary Arts program under instructor Karen Wilson. Taking to it as the proverbial fish to water, Biard soon became involved in as many activities as he could. He joined the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) student organization and began thinking of his future. Mrs. Wilson got him interested in attending the Culinary Institute of America to further his training.  

Realizing he would need financial help to go to the institute, he soon began a Leaders at Work project for FCCLA which he hoped would bring him national recognition as well as a scholarship. For six months he volunteered in the food service department at the Claremore Veterans Center, a job he said taught him a lot about service, people and commitment. Because of his project and his participation in the FCCLA national leadership conference he was awarded a $30,000 scholarship. He was, at last, on his way. 

Biard graduated from NTC in 2002 and went to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, enrolling in their 2-year associate’s program. As part of his training, he did his 6-month “externship” at a place called The Inn at Little Washington, a five-star, five-diamond restaurant located in a small town outside Washington, DC. He worked on the food production line some but did a whole lot of baking.  

“That is a really awesome restaurant,” says Biard. “It really gave me a good foundation. I worked about 90 hours a week at that restaurant, learned a lot, got yelled at a little bit there, but did good. I got a good grasp of what fine dining really is, what I wanted to focus on, the type of food I wanted to do and the way I would want to run my restaurant,” he adds.

He began there as the midnight baker. He did all the pastries for the night service and for the overnight guests so that they would awaken to fresh-baked pastries in the morning. He prepared croissants, puff pastries, muffins, and “all sorts of things.” Since the restaurant was full-service, he helped with high teas in the afternoons and full service dinners, preparing all the breads, desserts, ice creams, and mousses for the night crews, and prepping all the breads for the next service.  

“I was the only extern that got to work on the line for a couple of weeks,” says Biard. “After many months of begging I got to work the night service line. Preparing food for 200 people on a Saturday night was unbelievable. Very tough and intense. But, I worked my way through it. It gave me an interest in doing the baking and pastry program in California at the Napa Valley Culinary Institute of America.”

After getting his Associate’s Degree, he took 3 months off, and then headed to the Napa Valley in California to attend the Culinary Institute of America’s 30-week baking and pastry program to add to his degree and to make him more valuable as an employee. There he learned how to do wedding cakes, plated desserts, pastries, and old-fashioned bread making with brick ovens or hearths. He got to work with some great chefs who taught him how to make different types of desserts from different parts of the world, as well as old desserts, classic desserts and nouveau desserts.  

While enrolled in the program he worked at the on-campus Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant as a student employee. Surrounded by food service professionals he learned a lot. When he graduated they gave him an offer to stay and he accepted. He became in charge of preparing all the proteins that go through the restaurant.

“I cook all the proteins for the restaurant on my shift which is from 2:30 in the afternoon to midnight.  It is very interesting work. We have tourists, locals, students, and VIPs come through all the time. I’ve seen vice president Dick Cheney, Halle Berry, and a couple of big rock stars. We have an open kitchen and we get to see everybody that comes in and everything that goes on. And they see us, too.” 

When asked what he likes the best about his job and the industry in general, Biard was definite in his answer. 

“The rush of service. It’s crazy and hectic and you’re always moving and there’s never a chance to slow down at all. It’s amazing to look back and see just how much volume you turn out. On a Saturday night there’s one person to each station and you just served 300 or 400 people in a matter of 5 hours. And you’ve put out all that food. On a general night it’s just me doing the protein. It’s incredible,” he states.  

Even though his present job is exciting, Chris knows that there are more things to experience, more things to learn, and more worlds to conquer. He also knows what he wants out of life. 

“I want to work 2 more years in Napa Valley and then go to France,” he says with a broad smile. “I want to go cook there, see what restaurant will take me, work my way up there, travel around a bit and learn as much as I can learn.  

“I’ve always loved French cooking... it’s always been my favorite. I love the classical and the new stuff, too. I’ve always admired the classical French chefs...they’re my favorites. I love the classic French sauces -- the ones that take days to cook, and the way they do food has always been my favorite way and is the way I cook, too. Its the best way, I think. I hope to push my limit. That’s what its all about...just pushing yourself and going further and further.” 

So where does Chris Biard eventually see himself settling down? 

“I will probably settle down in the states. Going to France and working, doing well, and having those guys on your resume, your ticket is set. You can go anywhere in the country you want to go. I still can’t decide yet where I would like to settle down. I love California and I love Oklahoma. I would love to have a place in Tulsa where I could do classical French cooking as well as Italian and Asian.”

Despite his young age, Biard exudes a deep maturity, developed by a loving supportive family, educational institutions dedicated to student successes, and his own self-confidence.  

“Everywhere you go you learn things...everyone can add things you can bring to the table,” he reflects. “Northeast Tech prepared me great. It was a great foundation for my advanced education. Mrs. Wilson helped prepare me for it by encouraging me to participate in those contests and helping me get scholarships. I credit so much of that to her. It looked great on my resume and I learned a lot here. It was a lot of fun. I couldn’t have had a better opportunity.”

Karen Wilson knew Chris had something from the very beginning. “Chris always knew where he wanted to go,” she says. “You didn’t have to give him direction. He came to us knowing what he wanted to do. I attribute that to his family and his upbringing. They were always supportive. 

“My students, I thought, were going to explode the other day. Chris came by to speak to them and do some demonstrations. He worked with them in the kitchen and critiqued some of their plates. They were so excited. He is their mentor and role model now. He brought a real presence.  I see such a trickle-down effect: Chris works for a master chef who has been an influence on his life, and now Chris is that person to us and our students. It just goes on and on.” 

And so, we name Chris Biard a Northeast Tech Champion. His motto can be ours as well: “Have fun in the kitchen, but when its time to do your business, you do your business.”

Northeast Technology Center is proud to name Chris Biard a Northeast Tech Champion.