Kathryn Phelan

I am Kathryn Phelan, a baker and artist with a love of the natural world, travel and community collaboration.  My training began as a pastry chef in Paris, France (Le Cordon Bleu, The Rose Bakery, Jean-Charles Rochoux) before discovering a deep love of sourdough bread, cocktails and butchery while working in NYC (Gramercy Tavern, Marlow & Daughters, The Finch, Del Posto, Daniel, The Dead Rabbit, Goldenrod - Delhi, NY). I continue to explore these aspects of cooking in addition to wild fermentation, foraging, organic farming and building/cooking in wood fired clay ovens.

As a freelance consultant, I guide restaurants in developing sourdough bread programs, aiding with timing logistics, adjustments required to work with stone milled flours, alongside recipe testing, editing and writing. Clients include Rancho Santana Resort (Nicaragua), Bywater Bakeshop (Warren, RI) and Oliveto (Berkeley, CA). In addition, I gather research to further knowledge on how to work with smaller varieties of wheat, grains and seeds, and am working on a larger project to determine more efficient systems of small grains and beans distribution throughout NY State. In 2024, I laid the foundation for development of a research baking kitchen at the Baking Innovation Lab at Hartwick College Center for Craft Food & Beverage in Oneonta, NY.

I create commissioned illustrations, diagrams and manuals using ink and watercolour with subject matter ranging from botanical drawings, cocktail and recipe breakdowns to technical diagrams. It is my goal to educate and/or translate complex processes through a visual landscape.

Two of my paintings are hanging in the Museum of Free Derry, Derry, North of Ireland as a contribution to their exhibit commemorating the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday.

Two friends and I run Clay Ground: a co-op clay studio in Andes, NY

My current home base is in the Western Catskill hamlet of South Kortright, Delaware County, NY.

For a peek at my CV, this is my LinkedIn profile.

For a social media photo stream,  this is me on Instagram.

Languages: French (C-1), Spanish (B-1), Irish Gaelic (A-2)