About Chef Michael Laukert

After graduating from The Culinary Institute of America in 1991, Chef Michael Laukert began his culinary experience at Tra Vigne Restaurant, an internationally renowned trattoria in the Napa Valley.  His responsibilities there included the management of the Cantinetta Delicatessen, a retail/deli store located at the restaurant, which concentrated on artisan wines and specialty foods.

In 1996, Laukert initiated a specialty food development program at Napa Valley Kitchens, where he developed new products for Michael Chiarello’s Consorzio brand and began working as a consultant for Calio Groves, a California olive oil producer.

Laukert has consulted for numerous restaurants and food producers helping them conceive, produce and market specialty foods products, including:  Michael Chiarello’s NapaStyle and Consorzio, Jacques Pepin’s Jacques Pepin line, Thomas Keller’s EVO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) brand and a new restaurant concept for Food Network Iron Chef, Cat Cora.

Laukert was appointed Director of Research and Development at NapaStyle upon its conception in 2000, and he has served as an outside consultant overseeing NapaStyle Private Label Foods, Specialty Foods and Culinary/Kitchen merchandise.  NapaStyle is a multi-media based company that has produced multiple television series, a web-based commerce and content business, a nationwide mail order catalog, a wholesale enterprise and a retail store.  Laukert created and produced dozens of unique and proprietary specialty food products for NapaStyle.  He was also the Culinary Director for the NapaStyle television series on Food Network, PBS and Fine Living.

In January 2009, Laukert founded FoodWurkz Consulting, LLC to fulfill his personal goals in the restaurant and specialty food industry.

Laukert is active with the California Olive Oil Council and recognized as a Certified Taste Panel Member of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  Professional affiliations include La Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs, International Food Technologists, IACP and Slow Foods.  He holds a “Better Processing Control” certification from UC Davis, HACCP certification from Silliker Laboratories and serves as a Judge of the annual World Olive Oil competition for the Los Angeles County Fair.

Laukert lives in the Colorado Springs, Colorado, area with his wife, Molly, and five-year old son, Bryce.