A 1987 graduate of The Culinary Institute of America. Chef Budd has been the pastry chef at such famous eateries as New York Cities River Cafe and Adrienne and was the opening pastry chef of the highly acclaimed Park Avenue Cafe in both New York and Chicago. Both Chocolatier and Pastry Art and Design magazines have named Chef Budd on their lists of the "Ten best pastry chefs in America". Avenue magazine cited him as one of the "People who are changing the way America eats." This Vermont raised boy has also won the 1993 "Chartreuse Pastry Chef of the year" and been nominated as, "Pastry Chef of the Year" by the James Beard Foundation. He has appeared on The TV Food Network,Good Day New York and Good Morning America.

In 1998, Chef Budd was one of eight American pastry chefs who accepted an invitation to create centerpieces for President Clinton and the first Lady at the White House Easter egg hunt. Chef Budd has served on the board of directors for the United States Pastry Alliance. His work has been published in several books and publications such as Art Culinaire, Fine Cooking, Bon Appetit, Chocolatier and Gourmet magazines. He has also consulted for companies such as, Libby's, Ghirardelli Chocolate and Chocolates El Rey of Venezuela. He has been a media spokesperson for Seagram's Godiva Liqueur specializing in televised cooking demonstrations nationwide.

Chef Budd has received many awards and honors including a Gold Medal for a pastry display at the Societe Culinaire Philanthropique Culinary Salon in New York City. He participated in the 1996 Cuisines of the Sun in Hawaii, and the 1998 American Food Festival in Atsugi, Japan. Chef Budd has been annual member of the jury for the United States Pastry Competition and received thier :Life Time Acheivement" award in 2005.

Chef Budd spent 5-1/2 years sharing his knowledge with others as a full time Associate Professor in Baking and Pastry Arts at The Culinary Institute of America, our nations most prestigious culinary and pastry arts college.

By invitation In 2007, Chef Budd attended The Valrhona Chocolate School in the Rhone valley of France and spent several days touring the regions best restaurants, vineyards and chocolate shops.

Dan Budd(born 1967) his wife Julie and their two children, Allison and Jordan are currently residents of Red Hook, New York. Dan is fulfilling his dream of bringing high quality desserts, gifts and cafe fare to everyone via his Taste Budd's, businesses in the Hudson Valley of New York.   He likes to play guitar, sing and write music and leads a local Bluegrass Band, Grass Fed, playing various local gigs.  View more about Taste Budd's at www.TasteBudds.com.

Derek Corsino has been with Taste Budd's since May of 2007. He started out helping with festivals with a recommendation from CIA Chef Richard Coppedge, and quickly moved through the ranks to being primarily a supervisor at the Cafe in Red Hook for the past two years. Derek came to the company as he completed his Associates Degree at The Culinary Institute of America in the beginning of July 2007. Soon after he continued his education at the CIA with his Bachelors in Baking and Pastry Arts Management in which he graduated in February of 2009. In that time he traveled to Italy for a month to study food and wine with twenty-five selected members of his class, and also got the idea of starting his own small business as well.
In November of 2008, Derek officially started his specialty cakes business called Corsino Cakes, which with guidance and help from Taste Budd's owner Dan Budd, in time it will grow. Currently Derek is Pastry Sous Chef with Taste Budd's and continues to work on his own company as well, and is scheduled to be in the Hudson Valley Business Plan Competition in April of 2009, and hopefully will be competing in other competitions as well as time goes on.

Mary was raised in Saugerties and graduated in 1999 with a degree in Psychology/Criminology from the College of Saint Rose in Albany. She originally wanted to work in forensics but chose not to go the police route and instead continued to work for the Gap, where she eventually became an assistant manager and was so for 7 years.
Mary quit in 2006 and decided to go to the Culinary Institute of America, because she was interested in Baking and Pastry. Mary was Taste Budd's first Extern and graduated with perfect attendance in February of 2009.

Graduated with a masters degree in applied mathematics from The University of Delaware. Became a computer programmer for IBM corporation. Retired early from IBM to become a stay at home Mom. Raising 4 children(Kevin, Danielle, Kristin and Tommy) Terri decided it would be fun to work with them at Taste Budd's for The Dutchess County Fair in Aug. 2005. She has stayed with Taste Budd's part time ever since. Terri loves to read, snowboard, soccer, running, biking and most of all being with her family.

Patricia Budd Scott
employed January 2004 - present

Dan Budd's sister Tricia decided to be a bookkeeper in 8th grade, she studied accounting in high school and college. She graduated from Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont in 1986. Tricia has been employed as a bookkeeper in many sectors of business - health club management, property management, retail, wholesale, construction, & manufacturing. Tricia met her husband Philip Scott in Vermont as he was beginning his career with Kodak. His job has taken them to Boston, Massachusetts; Atlanta, Georgia; Columbus, Ohio; and currently Rochester, NY. She has 3 kids, Marissa, Cameron, and Anna. Tricia currently works remotely for Taste Budd's. She oversees Taste Budd's book keeping. She loves to ski, hike, camp, kayak and travel.

Merritt(Pop) and Kathleen(Mom) Budd
Dan's parents have been supporting Taste Budd's since the first day. Believing in Dan's dream they are a very special part of this small business' success.
Residing in Vermont Merritt operates a franchise of Winzer Corporation. Merritt is celebrating over 30 years of dedicated service to the industrial maintenance and automotive repair industries. Sometimes he is called the McGyver of Taste Budd\'s.

A retired nursery school teacher Kathy has been nurturing young children for over 30 years. She currently has a regular schedule of story time readings for children in the Rutland area of Vermont.

Many people have supported Taste Budd's over the years. Lending a hand, offering ideas, spreading the word!! In many ways these people have helped contribute to our success. We are grateful for their guidance.
Shana Sicotte, Reenie Sheehan, Magdalene San Millan, Heather Quinn, Grace Nowakoski, Kathryn Kinch, Amanda Hartigan, Meghan DeAngelis, Sue Olson, Megan Henck, Candice Tenore, Aminy Ostfeld, Malachi Higgins, Ginger Powers, Sarah Meyer, Angela Hurni, Sean McLaughin, Scott McLaughlin, Billy McNair, Michael D'andrea, Thomas Massey, Russell Ferber, Renee Daldry, Amanda Rockman, April Mataya, Bruce Connell, Clint Bovier, David, Karen, Stephen and Peter Fraleigh, Carl, Rebecca and Lilith Kornell, Jonathan Bowden, Theresa Marquez, Marcos Cosme, Rich Levon, Brad Lapin, Richard Capizzi, Sean Rogerson, Nathan La Fluer, Molly Geiger, Favi Helber, Chris Muller, Brian Cook, Matt Ratliff, Nicole and Donielle Niekrewicz, Jennie Tracy, Christy Taylor, Daniel Skurnick, Scott Keys, TJ Hessler, Steve Martin, Brian Harper, Faith Griffiths and more......