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Baker Dave Peacock ’00, Beer and Bread

Dave Peacock ’00 Brewmaster at Rock Bottom Restaurants and Brewery
Dave Peacock ’00, Member of the Bread Team at Whole Foods.

CIA Alumni Bio

Dave Peacock studied baking and pastry at the CIA making chocolate in class with Chef Peter Greweling and learn the fine art of bread baking from Chef Richard Coppedge. He would spend long days creating delicious breads and desserts for delighted restaurant patrons. After graduation, Dave was a pastry chef at Todd English ’82 Enterprises then lead the baking and pastry start-up at the Sofitel in DC.

In 2003, Dave moved to Colorado to become the brewmaster for Rock Bottom Restaurants and Brewery, a company with 27 local breweries around the country, at their Loveland, CO location. And for him, the brewing of quality beer isn’t that far removed from the creation of great bread. “Actually, the science behind making bread and brewing beer aren’t that different,” Dave says. “I propagate yeast and create starters that have to be fed for both processes.” The precision and science that he learned at the CIA has served him well. His knowledge of what it takes to make a great meal makes it easier for him to work closely with the restaurant’s chef, finding appropriate pairings of food and beer. In fact, Dave developed a recipe for beer bread that Rock Bottom can serve in all of its pubs.

In 2014, Dave joined whole foods and now leads bakers in the bread division. When asked what he does when not at work, Dave reports that he and his wife (who is a teacher) love to bake and cook. They enjoy working in their garden and making homemade breads, crackers, and granolas in their spare time.

Chef David Peacock majored in baking and pastry arts at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. He is a member of the bread team at Whole Foods in Boulder, CO.