Local Pastry Whiz Chef Stephanie Thornton to Appear on the Famed Food Network Show
Portland, Ore. (October 8th, 2019) – The Head Pastry Chef of Portland’s beloved gourmet donut shop will get her time in the spotlight in the ultimate chef’s competition. Chef Stephanie Thornton is in the running for culinary glory in the Food Network’s famed Chopped show, as the only West Coast contestant in her competitive round. The latest round of the Chopped series, “Sweets Showdown”, is a sequence of pastry-themed culinary competitions with a grand prize of $50,000.
“It was a really amazing experience, something I will never forget. For weeks beforehand, I was preparing by writing down random ingredients and pulling them out of a box, and dreaming up dishes combining them,” says Thornton. “I had over 200 slips of paper in there, but there’s just no way you can prepare for the reality, it’s intense! I will say that the box of cards gave me a lot of new donut ideas, so get ready, Portland!” Chef Stephanie can be found at Blue Star’s new Flagship location in Downtown Portland, whisking and creating away at her chef’s counter. Customers get to become taste-testers while they wait in line and watch her work her donut magic.
ABOUT CHEF STEPAHIE THORNTON
Stephanie Thornton is the Head Pastry Chef extraordinaire of Blue Star Donuts. Raised in a small farm town in Pennsylvania, Thornton’s first forays in baking were during her mother’s attempt to teach her fractions as they poured and measured together in the kitchen. Thornton received a Bachelor of Science in baking and pastry from Johnson & Wales University, and went on to cut her culinary teeth in the depths of New York kitchens, including the Four Seasons Hotel and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. It was here that she perfected pastries like the black-belt boss that she is (literally). After moving to Portland with her husband, Thornton joined forces with restaurateur Katie Poppe to develop a new gourmet donut concept based on a signature brioche dough. Since Blue Star’s inception in 2012, Chef Steph has been throwing down in the donut kitchen, creating beloved classics and exciting seasonals such as the Orange Olive Oil, Caramel Pear and Brandy Fritter, and Grapefruit with Smoked Paprika. Her works of pastry art have been featured in Vogue, Forbes, the Food Network, the Travel Channel, and recently adorned the cover Bon Appetit.
ABOUT BLUE STAR DONUTS
Blue Star Donuts is an artisan donut shop born in Portland, Oregon. After a much-anticipated opening in 2012, the Portland-grown bakers have since expanded to eight locations in Portland, plus three locations in Los Angeles, California. The unique brioche-based donuts quickly became a foodie favorite, recognized as the best in Portland and the United States by Conde Nast, The Washington Post, and USA Today. Their gourmet gems have gained international attention on the Food Network, and were recently featured on the cover of Bon Appetit Magazine.