Carolyn Nugent

Coming Up

Training at Randolph-Macon College, followed by time in Paris, France, established the technical base of Carolyn Nugent's career in kitchens known for exacting standards. Work for Joël Robuchon at Joël Robuchon and training at Pierre Hermé at Pierre Hermé placed her inside pastry systems where precision is the work, not the garnish. From there, the range widened. She spearheaded the bread and pastry programs at L2O in Chicago, Illinois, United States, then built the French Patisserie program at Bottega Louie in Los Angeles, California, United States, moving between production, development, and standards-setting with equal control. That same range carries through the rest of her record. She assisted Thomas Keller with Bouchon Bakery at Bouchon Bakery in Beverly Hills, California, United States, and later joined the team that facilitated Quince's move from two Michelin stars to three at Quince in San Francisco, California, United States. Research & Development at Tartine Bakery in San Francisco, California, United States added an experimental layer to the work, while time as chef-instructor at The French Pastry School brought the accumulated method into the classroom. Today, Carolyn is co-founder & owner of Poulette Bakeshop (since 2021), where those earlier roles now sit under one roof and continue as a single practice.

Where They Are Now

At Poulette Bakeshop in Parker, Nugent works as Pastry Chef and owner, and the shop carries the weight of a career shaped across different kinds of pastry rooms. The setting reflects training, production, restaurant work, bakery development, and instruction in one place, with each part of the background still visible in the way the work is run. The emphasis is on repetition done well: technique held to standard, but not stripped of warmth. Her own words frame that practice plainly: “We have been the recipients of priceless training by some of the best chefs of our time.” At Poulette Bakeshop, that training is not presented as heritage for its own sake, but as working knowledge put into service every day. “We are expressing that knowledge at Poulette Bakeshop, offering delicious food, made with care by a team of passionate people, led by experienced chefs.” The point is clear enough for the trade: keep the standard, keep the line moving, and let the result speak at the counter.

Signature

Carolyn's signature dishes include Mont Blanc Tart, a dessert that matches the rest of her work in its emphasis on control, detail, and pastry discipline.

In Their Words “We are expressing that knowledge at Poulette Bakeshop, offering delicious food, made with care by a team of passionate people, led by experienced chefs.” “We have been the recipients of priceless training by some of the best chefs of our time.”

Honors

Her work includes time as Executive Pastry Chef at Quince Restaurant from 2013 to 2015, a period that belongs with the rest of her record as part of a long run in serious kitchens. Taken as a whole, the career moves through respected pastry programs and instruction before arriving at Poulette Bakeshop, where those experiences continue as one ongoing practice.