Live, Work, Eat, Gather, Inc., has hired Laina Schneider as the new manager of Millstone Kitchen.
Schneider brings with her nearly ten years of sustainable food, agriculture and restaurant kitchen experience. She has worked with both academic- and private-sector entities in the U.S. and abroad in Honduras and Nepal. Schneider holds a B.S. in crop and soil environmental science from Virginia Tech and an M.S. in international agricultural development from the University of California, Davis.
Prior to joining Millstone Kitchen, Schneider was a Sous Chef at Preserve in Winters, Calif., where she helped to manage food preparation and the kitchen staff in a high-volume farm-to-table restaurant. Since returning to the New River Valley, Schneider has also been working as a cook for Feast and Company at Eastern Divide brewery.
Schneider succeeds Jessica Schultz, who returned to Pennsylvania to be closer to family. “We’re very excited to have Laina on board. Her depth of experience, knowledge and management capabilities will complement our growth at Millstone Kitchen” said Kevin Byrd, the chairman of the board for Live, Work, Eat, Gather Inc.
Millstone Kitchen is a shared-use commercial kitchen in Blacksburg operated by the nonprofit Live Work Eat Gather, Inc. The mission of Live, Work, Eat, Gather, Inc. is to cultivate and nourish the community through the support of local food and farms, the creation and growth of jobs, the security of a home and the gathering of friends and neighbors.
