Chef Aaron Brown is a professor of Baking and Pastry Arts at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone, where he brings decades of hands-on experience and a deep passion for artisan bread.
His culinary journey began in Seattle, working in restaurants and catering companies. While operating a resort restaurant in Alaska for Princess Cruises, he was introduced to the art of French bread baking—and he was instantly hooked.
After graduating from Portland’s Western Culinary Institute, he apprenticed at Grand Central Bakery in Seattle, honing his craft before opening his own wholesale artisan bread bakery. His career continued to flourish as a baker and pastry chef at Il Fornaio Cucina Italiana across locations in Portland, Las Vegas, and Denver. In 1997, his dedication earned him the company’s Baker of the Year award. Before joining the CIA faculty in 2004, Brown spent seven years as head baker/bakery manager for Big River Breads in Corvallis, OR. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Educational Studies from Arizona State University and is both a Certified Baker (CB) and a Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE). Brown is also a member of the Retail Bakers of America and the Bread Bakers Guild of America.