Avia Hawksforth has over 25 years of experience in creative hospitality roles including as a chef, culinary educator, butcher, winery general manager, and restaurant leader. She currently manages winery operations and events at Homage Vineyard in Napa Valley, where she helped establish the brand and grow revenues over 320% in 4 years. Previously, she sourced ingredients and managed a cattle program as The Forager at the Farmstead Restaurant in St. Helena.

1. AVIA HAWKSWORTH`
102 Foothill Blvd, Calistoga, CA 94515
(707) 490-8449 (mobile)  aviahomage@att.net
CREATIVE HOSPITALITY PROFESSIONAL
Creative food & beverage hospitality professional with proven track-record in winery
management, event management, creative culinary education, vineyard management and
restaurant leadership. Fluent in Spanish. Demonstrated strong conceptual skills with ability
to create lead and implement a successful wine business, events and culinary programs.
 Trained chef
 Rock-star butcher
 Culinary Educator
 Creative restaurant leader
 Winery operations sufferer
 Wine brand-champion
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
HOMAGE VINEYARD, LLC. – Calistoga, California November 2011 - Present
La Dueńa (General Manager)
Led Winery operations to help establish and grow small boutique Napa Valley winery.
• Developed unknown brand into successful revenue generator, through careful branding
(image, story, website, events and relationship building.)
• Managed all winery operations including vineyard management, winemaking, custom
crush, bottling, storage and distribution.
 Led wholesale account development selling direct to key accounts in Northern California
and LA and built distributor network in New York (Angels Share), Chicago and Texas,
through tenacity and zero call-fear
 Built direct to consumer business through sales networking with key hospitality contacts
and trade associations
 Created vineyard hospitality business, and effectively marketed Homage Vineyard to
host weddings, birthdays and wine related events, through website, networking and
industry events
 Grew revenue by 320% over 4 years with net profits over 33% for past 3 years
FARMSTEAD RESTAURANT. – St. Helena, California July 2009 – October 2011
The Forager
Responsible for developing purveyor program to source responsiblly grown ingredients in
keeping the restaurant’s philosophies.
 Built relationships with local, sustainable farmers, growers and purveyors to supply
restaurant with best, seasonal ingredients
 Worked closely with executive chef to develop menu for restaurant opening - based on
the best available produce, meat, cheese and fish
 Continuously worked to educate culinary team on best seasonal items to keep menu
seasonally relevant.
 Constant outreach and liaison with to current and new, farmers suppliers and purveyors
to access new ingredients and work optimal pricing
 Managed cattle program for restaurant owned herd of highland cattle. Including working
with farm director on “harvest” timing and updating meat availability for restaurant
culinary team

2. AVIA HAWKSWORTH`
102 Foothill Blvd, Calistoga, CA 94515
(707) 490-8449 (mobile)  aviahomage@att.net
 Education of staff and customers working to inform restaurant staff on sources of
ingredients on the menu and generate excitement about their provenance with
customers
 Part of 6-member Restaurant Management team responsible for operational success of
Farmstead
 Lead demonstrator for meat centered events displaying butchery skills to promote
Farmstead menu
 Media Relations:
o Work with production team at
o Top Chef Napa Value to secure Farmstead location and sourced all ingredients.
o Featured in restaurant launch publicity campaign, including own feature in Food
& Wine Magazine
o Team member in James Beard Dinner
COOKS OF CROCUS HILL - St. Paul, Minnesota
Culinary School Instructor 2002-2004
Cooking class instruction for commercial Culinary School. Work included:
 Developed class themes and menu design and implementation. Specialized in
Mediterranean and Californian Cuisine with Wine Parings
 Lead successful, fun & profitable classes for 10-25 attendees
NATURE’S NORTHWEST- (now Whole Foods), Lake Oswego, OR
Executive Store Chef 1998-2002
Responsible for setting up and management of Cooking School for flagship store within
leading chain of organic markets.
 Created, themes, menus and schedules of varied content ranging from basic skills to specific
regional and seasonal cuisine.
 Coordinated promotional activity with marketing department to establish communication of
classes and events.
 Collaborated closely with in-store departments to create effective cross merchandising
opportunities into class environment.
 Established a loyal clientele and repeat customer business.
 Company Spokesperson for TV and other media. Appeared in various TV slots on local
morning syndications.
 Implemented recipes and merchandising techniques within various departments.
 Coordinated seasonal merchandising events.
 Generated increased revenue and profitability from food and wine sales for the store
Assistant Manager- Butcher - Meat, Fish & Charcuterie 1996-1998
Responsible for sales, marketing and management of extensive, locally-sourced meat department
 Responsible for selecting sources, ordering, receiving and pricing of entire product selection.
 Met or exceeded profitability goals.
 Created value-added product lines to utilize off cuts and unusual finds

3. AVIA HAWKSWORTH`
102 Foothill Blvd, Calistoga, CA 94515
(707) 490-8449 (mobile)  aviahomage@att.net
FOUR SEASON HOTEL - New York, NY
Food & Beverage Assistant Manager 1993-1995
 Managed bar, lounge, fine ding restaurant. (responsibility alternated daily).
 Ensured and maintained high standards of customer service.
 Managed floor staff ranging from 12 to 24 team members.
 Responsible for staff training.
 Developed monthly news letter to educate staff menu items and wines.
 Mastered and implemented rigorous Four Seasons customer service requirements.
HOTEL BAYERISCHER HOF - Munich, Germany
Commis Chef 1991-1992
 Worked as an apprentice covering six hotel restaurants and various banquet facilities.
 Honed skills regarding efficiency and accuracy.
 Studied and executed menus for an extremely broad scope of cuisines ranging from
authentic Bavarian, Italian, French Nouveau and Polynesian.
 Assisted in creating banquets serving 50 to 10,000 customers.
EDUCATION
CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA, Hyde Park, NY
 Associates Degree: September 1991
NAPA VALEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE, Napa, CA
 Viticulture101 Stephen Krebs, September 2007
ADDITIONAL SKILLS
 Fluent in Spanish
 Strong PC and MAC Skills