Lourdes Castro
Director, Culinary Academy
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In addition to her work with the Biltmore, Lourdes serves as a part-time instructor at New York University’s Food Studies department where she teaches courses in food science. It is this ability to effectively explain culinary concepts and techniques as easily in an academic classroom as in an informal and relaxed kitchen environment that caught the attention of publisher Ten Speed Press. Lourdes has written two books for the publishing house, a Mexican cookbook (Simply Mexican) and a Spanish-English dictionary of culinary terms (Eat, Drink, Think in Spanish).

Olivier Rodriquez
Executive Hotel Pastry Chef
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Since joining the Biltmore in 2007 as Executive Hotel Pastry Chef, Olivier Rodriguez infused the property with his signature sweets at the hotel’s restaurants, banquets and special events. His flair for creativity and passion for pastry have found their ideal showplace at the Biltmore.

Jeanette Ozga
Biltmore Culinary Academy Instructor

A native from the Dominican Republic she came to the United States in 1996 to pursue her passion for cooking. Graduated at the top of her class from Johnson & Wales University in the Culinary Arts Baccalaureate program; Over 20 years of culinary experience in catering, restaurant and resort kitchens, cake making, baking and culinary education have given Chef Jeannette a well-rounded knowledge in Mediterranean, Asian and Latin American flavors, even though baking still remains her true passion.

As a mother of two, Jeannette focuses on maintaining a balance between her personal and professional responsibilities. As a private chef she has worked for many well known families in South Florida as well as celebrity chefs such as Bobby Flay in "Throwdown", Alton Brown, Tyler Florence, Paula Deen, Giada Dilaurentis in "Grilling Masters", and Ingrid Hoffman in "Simply Delicioso" season one.

Ease in the kitchen without sacrificing quality and flavor is a must for her; Chef Jeannette truly enjoys interacting with people and sharing her love and knowledge with others.

Arturo Solis

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Arturo Solis is chef owner of Mui Rik Gourmet; a Miami based boutique catering company that specializes in pop up dinner parties. As a Graduate of Le Cordon bleu he was hired early in his career by the Ritz Carlton hotel company in Key Biscayne and later Naples, there he gained a solid foundation in the culinary arts and leadership. Later he joined the Four Seasons hotel group joining the kitchen team in Miami, and moving to the Four Seasons St Louis, there he was a key member of there task force team, visiting other properties within the company. Soon after he moved on to the prestigious AAA five diamond and Forbes five star French inspired Fountain restaurant at the Four Seasons Philadelphia, where he mastered the art of creating dishes based on pure flavor profiles.

Arturo Solis has also had a successful career as a personal chef in Miami and Jackson Hole, WY. Currently Arturo is chef tournat at the prestigious palme d' Or restaurant and brings his culinary flair and knowledge to the bca, " I am very grateful to be part of the bca and be surrounded by like mined people who love to eat, cook and live life to the fullest".