VOL 27 ISSUE 11, March 16, 2026
Main caption: Space 220 at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT has become a standout for its next‑level pastry program. Graduates of Delaware North’s Culinary & Hospitality Excellence for Future Success® (CHEFS) program are now sharing their pastry and baking expertise with the kitchen team, pushing the restaurant’s desserts even further.
The pastry team at Space 220, operated by Delaware North’s Patina Group at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT, has developed a culinary enrichment program to help hourly cooks strengthen their baking fundamentals, build confidence and create pathways for growth in the kitchen.
The program was created by pastry sous chef Ashley Alli, who noticed many incoming cooks were talented but lacked classical pastry training.
“A lot of our staff were not people coming from classical culinary training or a culinary school, so we created a timeline of what we thought good topics would be,” Alli said.
The six‑month program offers demos ranging from classic European methods to cake decorating. Pastry sous chefs Alli and Josue Rivera Borrero lead live sessions during work hours to deepen cooks’ understanding of Space 220’s from‑scratch techniques. The restaurant is known for its inventive pastry program and operates a commissary kitchen for Patina Group locations at EPCOT and Disney Springs.
“I want everybody who walks through the doors of the Space 220 pastry kitchen to leave a better cook than they came in,” Alli said.
Alli and Rivera Borrero, pastry sous chef are graduates of Delaware North’s Culinary & Hospitality Academy for Future Success® (CHEFS) program and earned ProChef baking and pastry certifications from the Culinary Institute of America, which collaborates with Delaware North on CHEFS curriculum and prepares emerging culinarians to earn ProChef credentials.
Both culinarians say their desire – and ability – to lead the culinary enrichment program grew directly from the skills and perspective they developed through CHEFS, which focuses on strengthening emerging culinarians’ craft through foundational techniques.
For Steve Eden, director of the Culinary & Hospitality Academy, that kind of impact is exactly the program’s goal. The academy oversees CHEFS and other continuing education opportunities for culinarians.
“There’s no better outcome than seeing graduates take what they’ve learned back to the field and translate it for team members at every level, which ultimately builds bench strength in our kitchens,” Eden said.
With about 80% of the kitchen staff speaking Spanish as a first language, Rivera Borrero translates program materials to ensure accessibility and improve communication across shifts.
“You can see how their confidence builds through the program,” Rivera Borrero said. “Baking is an art and a science – and if you bake with confidence, things will go right. And if they don’t, it’s important to have the knowledge to identify improvements for the future.”
The program has already sparked more collaboration at the restaurant and creativity during new menu development.
“More hourly cooks are coming to us with concepts and inspiration for new pastry items, and it’s rewarding when you help create a kitchen environment where everyone feels like a contributor,” Alli said. “You can ultimately taste it through the quality of the desserts we serve.”
Michael Gabriel, a CHEFS mentor and director of pastry for Delaware North, emphasized the broader vision of the culinary enrichment program: developing a pipeline of pastry talent for the company.
“The initiative reflects the growth Ashley and Josue gained through their own continuing education, which they now pass on to their teams,” Gabriel said.