Other
Frank Vollkommer
Pastry chef
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
Frank Vollkommer has worked across Culinary Arts, baking and pastry, education, corporate food ingredient systems, design consulting, and business ownership. In practice, those lanes have overlapped: kitchen execution, classroom structure, and leadership have all been part of the same body of work. He has said, "I've been in culinary and baking and pastry education for over 20 years, and I've really enjoyed the opportunity to help shape the future of our industry by teaching the next generation of chefs," which tracks cleanly with the way his career has been built.
The Path
Johnson & Wales University is where Frank Vollkommer trained, and where the discipline of technique and creative control took root. From there, his career moved into roles that asked for both precision and context, building experience in execution, mentoring, and work that reaches beyond the kitchen. Today, Frank is head of the pastry program of PRESS, Executive Pastry Chef of Under-Study, and director of Culinary Industry Relations of Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts.
The Work Today
Executive Pastry Chef at Under-Study in St. Helena, California places Frank Vollkommer in the daily cadence of pastry work, where timing, finish, and consistency carry the whole. It is work defined by detail at every stage, from conception to final presentation, and by the kind of adjustment that changes the outcome without announcing itself. He is also head of the pastry program at PRESS, and he continues as Director of Culinary Industry Relations at Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. Taken together, the three posts point to a single working method: pastry as disciplined practice, education as part of the job, and leadership as something earned across kitchens and classrooms alike. One role is immediate and hands-on; another is instructional; the third connects the profession outward. His current work links restaurant pastry, program leadership, and industry relations, with each role extending the next.
Signature
Plant-Based Caramel sauce is among Frank's signature dishes, and the name alone points to both technique and a contemporary pastry register.
In Their Words “I've been in culinary and baking and pastry education for over 20 years, and I've really enjoyed the opportunity to help shape the future of our industry by teaching the next generation of chefs.”
Acclaim
Frank's honors include Certified Master Pastry Chef (CMPC) (2005), a credential that reflects the length and depth of his practice.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Frank
What is Frank Vollkommer's current role?
As of 2026, Frank Vollkommer is Executive Pastry Chef.
Where did Frank Vollkommer train or study?
Frank Vollkommer trained at Johnson & Wales University.
What recognition has Frank Vollkommer received?
Certified Master Pastry Chef (CMPC) (2005).
