Mackenzie Hyde / Denver, CO

Sweet Success

Pastry chef Mackenzie Hyde is comfortable with uncertainty. In fact, she recommends it to fellow up-and-coming chefs. “I would definitely say, never get too comfortable. If you get too comfortable in a certain setting, go look for something new,” says Mackenzie, the pastry supervisor at the Clayton Hotel & Members Club in Denver. “Moving around in the early years, finding new mentors, that can teach you different things.”

What is certain wherever Mackenzie works is reliable flavor. She’s not deterred when a sad-tasting strawberry threatens her Szechuan Strawberry Shortcake Pops. “I can really fall back on The Perfect Purée without having to doctor it up,” she says. “It’s really helped with any new recipe I’m developing, and I always know I can count on it compared to similar frozen products.”

Mackenzie’s plated desserts have a striking interplay of textures, colors, and flavors. Maintaining freshness and consistency is important at the Clayton, where the same people might dine several times a week. “Members make the pressure to create a consistent product a little higher. It definitely helps that they know what to expect,” Mackenzie says.

Make or Break Your Prep Day

The catalyst for Mackenzie’s career came from her high school ProStart team in Orange County, California. The ProStart curriculum, with hands-on experience and competitive events, is renowned for producing future culinary arts professionals. “It definitely helped define my career. I was encouraged to push the boundaries and think outside the box,” Mackenzie says.

Challenging herself has become one of her most valuable tools. “I think because I always allowed myself to push my boundaries to go to new restaurants, it helped me develop new skills and look at the big picture in the industry,” she says.

Mackenzie left California to earn an associate’s degree in applied science from Johnson & Wales University in Denver. She stayed in the city because she fell in love with the food scene. For the first five years after graduating, Mackenzie worked her way up as a line chef. She gravitated to fine dining for its creative possibilities and landed a job at Mizuna, a European-style American eatery that’s consistently rated among Denver’s top restaurants. “I definitely like the fine dining side of the industry to connect with the artistry of it,” Mackenzie says.

She was put in charge of the pastry department and for three years learned on the job, doing a lot of research and development and exploring her personal expression. “I really didn’t know a lot about pastry when I was given the opportunity to lead the pastry department, but I had complete freedom to do whatever my creative heart desired and get in touch with my sense of style and art for pastry,” Mackenzie says.

Mackenzie spent three years at Mizuna and last year moved to the Clayton — with The Perfect Purée. She says the Clayton used it, but not regularly. “I was the one who asked them to keep ordering. It can make or break my prep day,” she says. “It easily cuts the time in half if not more. That’s a huge asset and value to a kitchen that runs on a small staff.”

User Tip: Glass Art

Mackenzie suggests making edible glass with The Perfect Purée Passion Fruit (or another flavor). The elegant garnish looks like stained glass and adds a surprising, flavorful element to cocktails. “It’s purée glass for our bartending program,” Mackenzie says.