Meet Camyle Foley | Pastry Chef & Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Camyle Foley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Camyle, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
After spending a few years in the restaurant business, I saw that there was a lack of Brazilian-inspired desserts. I had gone home to Brazil a number of times to learn different techniques from various chefs. I had studied classic French pastry at the Culinary Institute and all of my professors were chefs working for restaurants but they also had their own brands.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
After school, I started out as a pastry assistant. Long hours, lots of yelling and a lot of second, third and fourth thoughts about making a career in this field. After a few months, I really started to hit my stride and was able to overcome some of the early criticisms and disappointments by working really hard. I was plating and doing production at the Monkey Bar in New York. After some turn over in the kitchen and a lot of late nights, I was offered a promotion. Within 2 years, I was the Head Pastry Chef under the Executive Chef, Larry Forgione. By this time I was able to create my own menu, introduce my take on classics and was recognized by some of the toughest food critics in New York. When I moved to Miami, I started working at Yardbird built some very strong relationships with the team. Many of the people that worked with me at Yardbird are still good friends to this day and they have gone on to do some impressive work. Soon after I became the Executive Pastry Chef at Yardbird under Chef Jeff McGuiness, I launched Redhead Cakes. It started really as just an outlet to make things I enjoyed and became something more. I started with a few cakes for friends parties and then it turned into farmers markets. I t was a great way to get in front of a lot of people with minimal entry costs. From there we launched a website, subscription services and private event catering.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When people come to Miami Beach the first place we recommend is a little place called Las Olas Café. It’s a great little Latin place that has a little bit of everything and really encompasses the flavors of Miami. Because I work in hospitality, you could say I was biased about where to eat. Because I’m Brazilian, we have to start with Fogo de Chão. If you’ve never had Brazilian barbecue, this is the place to go. The staff is always friendly. The food is always fresh and the atmosphere is relaxed. The second place I would tell you to go is Macchialina. I received a gift certificate for my birthday to eat at this incredible restaurant, and was delighted by every course. Sitting outside, surrounded by palm trees and ferns and bamboo eating Italian food on Miami Beach. Just can’t be beat in third place. I’d recommend is the rooftop restaurant at the Moxy hotel, Serina. Serina has incredible Mexican, food and incredible atmosphere. All over the beach there are many places to get gelato. My favorite is which ever one has passion fruit and chocolate. It’s not a combination you see often but when you eat them together, you get the best of both worlds.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I used to watch my grandmother make cakes. Once I started doing it, people said that I was pretty good at it. When I moved to the US, I went to the French Culinary Institute in New York and started working as a pastry assistant. Prior to my job I connected with Patricia Schmidt, a famous cake decorator in Brazil. I was able to learn some very cool techniques from her and we became good friends.

Website: www.redheadcakes.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redheadcakes/