Dana Shannon Baker of Dana Food Safety has become an official SquareHolder sponsor for The Candy Factory, their expansion, and their contribution to the local society of small businesses!
Dana writes, “Since high school, I have worked in the food industry. I started working in the kitchen of the local hospitals. I learned a lot about food prep, cold and hot, different diets, and how important it is to make sure our food is safe.
I started at the bottom, yes, washing dishes, and worked my way up to a Catering Manager. This is where it all began. I had always wanted to own my own restaurant. Being in the food business, I worked at all different facilities. I had a drive within to learn everything I could about becoming a chef. I decided to attend the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, and worked my way thru the Hotel & Restaurant program and earned a Bachelors of Arts. Once I completed my degree, this is where it all began.
My old neighbor and I were talking on a lovely night and discussed how much we loved Barbecue. I am talking real barbecue, not the barbecue you put on charcoal. Smoked low and slow and fusing with flavors that melt in your mouths. We started coming up with our own recipes and flavors. There weren’t many BBQ joints in the area, so this was a thought!
The next week, we started a business partnership. We purchased our first food truck, Holy Smokes BBQ, which was located in Morgantown PA. We were booming. My husband got involved, we were a smoking team. Our food was fabulous, but it was also very, very hard work. The partnership eventually was dissolved and we went off on our own, now called DK Smokin’ BBQ.
We decided to just open on the weekends and for events and catering only. Of course this wasn’t enough to cover all our expenses so, I decided to become a Food Safety Instructor and teach and certify others so they can open their own establishments. This is how Dana Food Safety LLC, came alive. It took about a year to start building my clientele. But now, we are established, and I could not ask for anything more. I meet fabulous folks daily, get to try different foods daily. I work closely with Chefs, General Managers, Sous Chefs and even baristas to make sure they are safe when running their operation. It makes me so happy when I see folks pass their food safety exams, for this is the next step in opening their front doors, and passing the health inspection with the state. Every facility in every state needs to have someone on site that is Food Manager Certified, being ServSafe, National Registry of Food Safety Professionals, or even Prometric. It is the law. People can die from food if it isn’t handled properly. My job is very important, and I want to help as many as I can learn the importance of food safety. I have worked with organizations, to make sure the food they sell, either for profit, or non-profit is safe. I would like to get involved in sharing my knowledge with kids in school, elderly, churches. I would love to do assemblies. You would be surprised how much you would learn just sitting in a food handler class. Finishing this blog, I am grateful to be apart of the Candy Factory Family. I finally feel like I belong. I am hoping I could network with some more member of the Candy Factory, Rock Candy members and we could share the wealth of knowledge on Food Safety. Some Lunch and Learns, on the way.
Food Safety, its what counts!
Dana Food Safety LLC
Dana Baker
Rock Lititz Suite #25
201 Rock Lititz Blvd Lititz PA