Who’s the driving force behind Ginger and Baker’s endless supply of pot pies? Meet Chef Lori Gallatin, who’s been on our prep kitchen team when we opened in 2017. She soon moved into the role of Prep Chef, leading a team who produce an average of 430 chicken and veggie pot pies every week, keeping the Café, to go orders and Take and Baker supplied with our bestselling item.
“We do a majority of the prep for the Café, stock the grab and go with quiche and provisions, and help The Cache and Events team when needed,” Lori said, “And make sure each pot pie is hand made with love.”
Lori started in the restaurant industry at age 15 in her hometown of Buena Vista and has worked both back of house and in management ever since. She managed the Fort Collins Waffle House for many years, and later partnered with her sister in opening a restaurant in Arizona. “It was called Café Sonoita, and we made homestyle American food,” Lori said. “We also catered everything from weddings to shoots for Victoria’s Secret and Animal Kingdom. We also did wine dinners, wine festivals, and murder mystery dinners.”
When Lori returned to Fort Collins to take care of her folks, she joined the opening team at Ginger and Baker. “The people here are great,” Lori continued. “Ginger was the first person I met when I came in and she’s always been supportive. I get to work with some really talented chefs and good people. We take care of each other, and they appreciate me… and my sense of humor.”
Lori also has degrees in human resources management and human services management. “I wanted to be a psychologist at one point. Now it comes in handy keeping Chef Ryan in line,” Lori joked.
When not working, Lori enjoys gardening, camping, fishing, baking, photography and playing with her grandkids – between her two sons and her step kids, she has sixteen grandkids and two great grandkids. She also loves spending time with her husband and their three dogs: Jingles the Manchester terrier, Mipsy Pipsy the corgi/chihuahua, and Itty Bitty the chihuahua.
You’d think all of that is enough to keep one person busy, but Lori also plays the flute, piccolo and tenor sax and is learning the mandolin. In addition, she has an extensive collection of musical instruments. “I have a piano, two keyboards, tambourines, Chinese bells, wooden flutes, table harps, finger harps, acoustic guitars, an electric guitar, a bass, all range of harmonicas, even a xylophone,” Lori said.” My goal is to learn to play every single one of them.” (Did we mention Lori never ceases to amaze us?)
Her favorite pie? “It’s a frozen peanut butter pie with a crushed peanut crust,” Lori said. “It’s so, so good.”