Kelli Payne

Kelli is a pastry chef and culinary instructor with extensive experience in fine dining, luxury hotels, and unique culinary settings. She has served as a pastry chef at the Four Seasons in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, spent four years as a pastry sous chef at Jean-Georges, and held the position of Executive Pastry Chef for Stephen Starr in Miami. She has also led pastry programs at a bed and breakfast in Vermont and, more recently, at a ranch in Idaho.

Kelli is currently teaching culinary arts at Mercy Career and Technical High School and is pursuing her CTE teacher certification through Temple University.

Her connection to Les Dames d’Escoffier began at approximately age 20, when she and her best friend won a design contest for the organization’s annual event, creating a centerpiece cake for the occasion. The experience left a lasting impression and remains a cherished early memory in her culinary journey.