Gretchen Sianni

Biography

Gretchen Sianni is an award-winning pastry chef and restaurateur and proud alumna of the University of Delaware hospitality program. After graduating from UD, Gretchen furthered her education at Le Cordon Bleu in Boston, earning a certificate in pastry arts. She has held management and culinary positions at cafes, restaurants and bake shops throughout the Mid-Atlantic and New England.

From 2015 to 2020, Gretchen owned and operated De La Coeur Café et Patisserie in Wilmington, Delaware, which grew from a single café to include a second location and wholesale bakery. In addition to being a local favorite and earning a Best of Delaware recognition, De La Coeur also received membership to the international Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. While with De La Coeur, Gretchen remained an active part of the Delaware restaurant scene, competing in the Wilmington Flower Market’s charity chef challenge and highlighting the First State’s agricultural and hospitality sectors at the annual Taste of Delaware event in the U.S. Capitol.

Most recently, Gretchen served as pastry chef at Bar Reverie in Greenville, Delaware. She designed the morning café menu, created select desserts, and trained bakery staff on her signature pastries for special events.

A Delaware native, Gretchen is thrilled to return to the University of Delaware and give back to today’s culinary minded Blue Hens the same encouragement and thorough training she received as a student. She is delighted to join the team at Vita Nova and looks forward to continuing her own education in the world of hospitality, as well.

Education

• Certificate in pastry arts, Le Cordon Bleu Boston
• B.S. in hotel, restaurant & institutional management, University of Delaware