Janae Aiken of The Fork & Wrench - Biography

Growing up a naval brat, Janae Aiken moved all over the country during her childhood, from San Francisco to Virginia to upstate New York, before finally settling in Hagerstown, Maryland.  But one thing was constant wherever she and her family went: phenomenal home cooking. Aiken’s earliest memories are set in the kitchen with her mother, grandmother, and sisters, balanced on a step stool to do her part. So when the time came to choose a direction for her adult life, the choice of pastry chef was a natural progression. Aiken’s first position at a local bakery, rising at 3am to prepare the morning pastries, primed her for pursuit of a Bachelor’s degree at the Culinary Insitute of America in Hyde Park, NY, and when she graduated in November 2007 it was with high honors.

Returning to Maryland, Aiken landed first at Charm City Cupcakes in Baltimore before diversifying her responsibilities in a position with The Classic Catering People, where she worked from May 2008 to April 2009. Keeping with the catering theme, she next stepped into the position of Assistant Pastry Chef at Linwood’s Restaurant and Catering from April 2009 through July 2010. Something about the restaurant setting must’ve struck a chord, cause Aiken’s been in restaurant kitchens ever since. She spent a year and a half each at Charleston and Hill Country Barbecue Market, followed by time at Chazz: A Bronx Original, Harry Browne’s, and The Chesapeake Baltimore. As of October 2013, Aiken joined the team at The Fork & Wrench, where she draws on the traditions of her mother and grandmother to create desserts that are beautifully crafted, unpretentious, and classically craveable.