In a kitchen at Malcolm Yard, Chef Beth Wells is using an extruder to produce perfectly shaped strands of Spagattini for the Twin Cities Pasta Club’s Spagattini Al Limone. Beth started her culinary career teaching cooking classes at Cooks of Crocus Hill, a huge pivot away from her first plan after high school: nursing. The culinary arts were more than a passion. They were where she excelled, and Chef Manfred Krug saw that.

Manfred first saw Beth’s skills in the cooking classes. Within weeks, he recommended that Beth attend culinary school. She was not so sure, so Manfred suggested starting with the Pastry and Baking Certificate at Saint Paul College. Beth enrolled, and before she knew it, she had finished the program and kept coming back for another class until she earned her associate’s degree in Culinary Arts. She was now ready to join nearly any professional kitchen.

Getting a degree is the first step. It’s what you do with the degree that really matters.

Chef Beth

Beth’s Time at SPC

Years before she was leading kitchen teams and developing her own menus, Beth was arriving at Saint Paul College before most of her classmates.

Balancing a full-time job with culinary school required creativity and commitment. Faculty opened the kitchen early so she could begin her work before class officially started, giving her time to finish assignments and still make it to work on time.

Those early mornings became part of her education. In addition to learning techniques, she learned how to adapt when recipes failed, solve problems under pressure, and approach every challenge as an opportunity to improve.

“You don’t know everything, so be open-minded and challenge yourself,” Beth said.

By graduation, she had gained more than culinary skills. She had built the confidence to step into professional kitchens and continue pushing herself beyond her comfort zone.

Following Opportunity

As graduation approached, one of Beth’s instructors encouraged her to spread her wings and handed her a list of three local restaurants where they believed she could grow. She followed their advice, landing opportunities at Butcher & the Boar, joining the team behind 4 Bells, spending time at Restaurant Alma, and working in the kitchen at Spoon and Stable and its sister restaurant, Bellecour.

Each kitchen offered a different lesson. Through long shifts and busy services, Beth refined her craft, built confidence, and discovered the kind of chef she wanted to become.

That pursuit of growth eventually led her to New York City, where she joined the kitchen of ACES as their executive sous chef. Following her layover in New York City, Chef Beth returned to the Twin Cities, where she took on the role of Chef de Cuisine at Chloe at age 28. After years in reputable kitchens, Chef Beth was ready to strike out on her own and be her own boss. She returned to her love of pasta and opened Twin Cities Pasta Club as a concept at The Market at Malcolm Yard.

Her next dream is a standalone restaurant. If her journey has proven anything, it’s that the opportunities worth pursuing are often the ones that feel a little scary.