From an early age, Violette exhibited a passion for cooking. She would spend time in the kitchen with her Mother and Great-Grandmother, learning family recipes and experimenting with new ones from cookbooks. In 2003, she won the San Diego Art Institute’s Best Teen Chef in America Scholarship competition. She then earned an Associate of Science in Culinary Arts and a Bachelor of Science in Culinary Management. While attending school, she worked at Island Prime, C-Level Lounge, Soleil K in the San Diego Marriott, Hospitality Inc (one of San Diego’s largest catering companies), and Woolfies Bakery in Cape Cod, Mass. 

Upon completing school, she became a sous chef at Hospitality Inc. From there, she went to work for Compass Group, overseeing corporate catering and restaurant operations for 11 years in companies like LG Electronics, Teradata, and Qualcomm. She was the Executive Chef at the Wild Thyme Company, where she oversaw large-scale events, weddings, private dinners, and restaurant operations. In 2020, she co-founded The Handmade Chef Inc. with her wife. Their private chef company offers luxury dining experiences for small corporate events, micro weddings, and intimate gatherings. They recently opened a brick-and-mortar meal prep shop that focuses on customizable, clean meals for those who are too busy to cook for themselves. As a San Diego native, Violette has a passion for quality farm-to-table ingredients and uses classic techniques to bring her dishes to life.