“Sometimes, flexibility in this field is everything. Some people are very particular with what they want, and you have to use your creativity within the guidelines they give you. You have to realize it’s not all about you, but you can still use your creativity to put out something amazing.”
Tina Spaltro, originally from Philadelphia, is a pastry chef at the Dunes Golf and Beach Club. Spaltro earned a degree in interior design at Radford University in Virginia and moved to Myrtle Beach 35 years ago. After working different jobs, she entered the International Culinary Institute of Myrtle Beach at Horry Georgetown Technical College (HGTC), graduating in 1997, and began her career as a pastry chef.
About
Tina’s career evolved through a few different key roles. Her first full-time job was with Sea Island Inn in Myrtle Beach, where she discovered that learning on the job is just as important as attending classes. “I learned a lot there,” said Spaltro. “That’s where I started baking, even though I didn’t have much baking background, because Horry Georgetown Technical College didn’t have the baking program yet. The chef, Mike, was really into having fresh desserts, fresh baked bread, so I learned a lot there by working the line, ordering, doing prep work things like that.”
Another position that allowed Spaltro to grow was opening pastry chef at Marina Inn in Myrtle Beach. “Opening the hotel freed up a lot of creativity for me,” said Spaltro. “I got to write banquet packages and do more administrative stuff that allowed me to sit down, research things, and look at ideas. That opening gave me a lot more confidence.”
At the Dunes Club, Spaltro said she does a lot of menu planning and seeing projects through from beginning to end. “We come up with an idea, figure out how to do it, and then figure out how to do it for 300 people,” said Spaltro.
Spaltro said Horry Georgetown Technical College is an excellent school for training and exposure to the industry, and the area offers many opportunities for networking. “The American Culinary Federation is here,” said Spaltro. “A bunch of chefs get together every month, and it’s a really great way to network with people, find a job, and learn.”
Spaltro said her culinary career allows her to be creative, but it still hard work. “When you watch all those TV shows about kitchens, like with Gordon Ramsey, it’s not really like that. You have to have a hard work ethic to be in the restaurant business. It’s long hours, and it’s not glamorous. There’s a lot of washing dishes and making things you’ve made a million times. But in the long run, there is a lot of gratification when you present someone with something and they say, ‘Wow, that’s the best thing I’ve ever eaten.’ That makes you feel good.”