Lucas Brown
Responsibilities
My title at Larder was "Chef." I had the creative liberty to make whatever I wanted, when I wanted to, and I could add it to the menu. It was a very creative role. With that being said, Larder is a very popular restaurant, so my day-to-day was primarily basic restaurant kitchen duties. Food prep, working the line, expediting and balancing tickets, food safety, and cleaning the kitchen where all roles of my job. I also did lots of food-based experiments utilizing Koji, mold, fermenting, dry aging, and recipe testing.
Accomplishments
My biggest accomplishment was realizing I work best in a high-stress/fast-paced environment. Over the course of the summer, we had very busy afternoons and private events that required a lot of teamwork, precision, and speed. Each time I was put under pressure, I felt very confident in my skills; it was a very satisfying feeling. I also developed recipes and added items to the menu, which were very exciting personal accomplishments.
Learning experience
The biggest thing I learned from working at Larder is that working in a restaurant is not for me. I started the summer with an open mind; if I liked working in a restaurant, great! If I didn't like it, it was only for the summer! I truly loved my time at Larder, but it showed me that there is another path for me, and it does not involve a restaurant job. I think that is the best part about having an internship while in college, they help you decide what field to land in.
What advice would you give?
Go to the lectures when ISU invites guest speakers!! Don't be afraid to be told "no." The biggest reason I got this internship was that I took the initiative. Jeremy Umansky, the chef and owner of Larder, gave a lecture about his work in the spring of 2025 at the Memorial Union (which I found fascinating). After his lecture, I went up to him and simply asked, "I'm very interested in your work. Do you hire Interns?" Three days later, we had an interview over the phone, and I was offered a job by the end of the call.