working for a dream

A Story about Suellen Drummond

Suellen was working in kitchens at a young age. Born in Brazil, her parents came to Boston where she grew up, and she watched them work in the industry. Later, as a high school student, two chef instructors at Everett High School, Chef Parmenter and Chef Makredes, shared an opportunity with Suellen to compete for a scholarship and be involved with a culinary program outside of her school.  From there, Suellen’s culinary career was launched.

Suellen went on to culinary school at NECI in Vermont with support from her Everett High School culinary teacher who saw Suellen’s drive to become a chef.  She completed her internship at one of Chef Barbara Lynch’s establishments in Boston before returning to her roots in Brazil, traveling and studying about Brazilian cuisine. Working under Chef Felipe Bronze in Rio de Janiero at the two Michelin starred Oro Restaurante, she was introduced to molecular gastronomy and discovered her passion for Amazonian ingredients. In 2013, Suellen moved to New York City, spending  the next two years working at the one Michelin starred Café Boulud. Working under Mentorship of Chef Gavin Kasen and Chef Aaron Bludorn, Suellen learned classic French techniques and the importance of tradition and culinary history.

Later, Suellen’s career brought her back to Future Chefs, giving her an opportunity to give back to other teens that were starting out in their career building process. Working alongside the Future Chefs culinary director, Suellen dedicated her time to developing the Future Chefs Delivers program in its early pilot stage where her passion for cooking and developing young culinary students helped shape the program.

Suellen’s career continued to soar as she worked at the Boston renowned SRV, experiencing the “front of the house” side of the industry. Currently, Suellen is a Sous Chef at the Forbes four star-rated, Deuxave, in the heart of the Back Bay, Boston.

Suellen hopes to own a small restaurant that focuses on Brazilian street food created with French techniques, using her career experiences as a springboard for launching her business. Her belief is that the support and network offered to students is what makes Future Chefs special. For a motivated young person like Suellen, it opened doors for her as she works toward making her dreams a reality.

2022 Update! Watch this video of Suellen’s latest work, courtesy of Chef Works (chefworks.com).