Ann Rudorf
Corporate Chef
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Wood Stone Home Chef Ann Rudorf has been in the food business since her college days in Nebraska when her mother (a professor’s wife renowned for her dinner parties) decided to have a go at the restaurant business and included Ann and her brother Bob as part of her staff. That experience led Ann to pursue a culinary education through the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. Ann’s first foray into the pizza world was being part of the opening of Joyce Goldstein’s Caffe Quadro in 1985.
In 2008, after hearing about the magic of Wood Stone ovens, the company itself and the people that make it run, Ann was excited to be offered the opportunity to work with Wood Stone on a freelance basis and has since become a proud member of the Wood Stone family. She says, “I fell in love with the company culture at Wood Stone even before I fell in love with the ovens. The unsurpassed friendliness and respect for each other, combined with an unparalleled work ethic and product standards, plus a dedication to customer satisfaction make Wood Stone a fantastic company to work for.”
Ann’s role is vital to the Wood Stone Home mission—she helps home owners get comfortable with their ovens. As a chef, Ann is always thinking about how to reinvent food in the Wood Stone Home oven and is churning out new recipes for Wood Stone Home oven owners to try. “I live near San Francisco and am fortunate enough to have many farmers’ markets nearby offering delicious produce from both the cool coastal climate and the warm Central Valley. Every season brings new inspiration; when I see a new crop of artichokes or Brussels sprouts, I immediately begin to think about what I could do with them in the oven.” Ann’s recipes are designed to help home oven owners discover how versatile their ovens can be!
Ann is also adamant about giving home owners the tools to be successful and comfortable with their ovens. She said, “I’ve encountered many Wood Stone Home oven owners who were afraid of their ovens. That’s why I want people know I’m here—I want them to know I’m a resource that can show them how fun and easy using a Wood Stone oven is!” Whether it be by detailed email, phone call, or actual demonstration of recipes and techniques in the customer’s residence, Ann is always ready and willing to help!