October 2021
Ryan’s Story
By Ryan Pinto
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Ryan Pinto
Ryan was born in Florida, but grew up in Mumbai, India. Fuelled by a deep passion for delivering excellent food and service, he finished school and completed a BSc in Hospitality Studies at Sophia Polytechnic.
However, despite securing good positions in hotels, he felt he needed to develop further and learn more about the culinary arts and operations.
Crucially, he was keen to explore opportunities outside India.
“I didn’t feel there were many avenues for me to grow and progress,” he said. “I wanted to make something of my life, be self-made.”
After looking at courses in America, Ryan met with a University College Birmingham international agent, who inspired him with the University’s MA in Culinary Arts Management and living in Birmingham.
“It was an opportunity to experience something outside India, a real learning curve,” he said. “The course allowed me to be innovative, experiment with different flavours, and I learned the intricacies of staffing and cost control, and what makes a really successful menu.”
Achieving a first-class degree, Ryan ventured across the pond and was snapped up by French restaurant ONE65 San Francisco. He then landed a dream role as a chef de partie at the city’s two Michelin Star Italian fine dining restaurant, Acquerello, before joining Angler SF, a sea life-focused restaurant with views of San Francisco Bay.
Ultimately, he plans to return to India to make his mark.
“University College Birmingham gave me a clear vision of what I wanted my future to be, which is to stand out, break the mould, in the India market,” he said. “It showed me how to really apply my understanding outside the classroom.”