A simple scheduling mistake had the event booked for a different date, resulting in no food in the house, no servers, no set up, and no wedding cake.

It was a potential disaster for a caterer that prides himself on delivering exactly what a demanding client desires. But in the span of 120 minutes, Chef Mark Ellis explodes into action and recreates the exact menu, pulls servers in, has the houseman build the room, and has the bakery create the exact wedding cake from the bride’s picture, all while the client was seated in a private room, oblivious to the "scrambled egg effect" happening outside the door.

It’s just “another day at the office” for Chef Mark Ellis. “The client was so impressed by how flawless the day was that they called and took me out to dinner after their honeymoon!” Chef Mark recalls. “If only they knew what was really happening behind the scenes! To this day, they don’t know the difference.”

As a masterful Executive Chef, Chef Mark has had fashion himself as a superman of sorts. 1,200 hors d'oeuvres by 3 p.m.? No problem. Have multiple parties and run a gourmet food market all in the same day? Got it under control. “That’s what comes with the territory in this business,” Chef Mark says.

But not everyone can pull it off with the confidence, and, most importantly, the ability that Chef Mark possesses. It’s not just about producing the quantity. Chef Mark knows it’s all about the quality and he never disappoints.

“Buy in season and learn from the experts in the region you are in,” is his advice to aspiring chefs. “We can buy anything at any time but if it’s in your backyard, you will be successful more often than not. Get back to basics – fresh ingredients and passion are a winning combination.”

Though he didn’t officially get into the culinary field until his 30s, cooking is Chef Mark’s longtime passion. As a teenager, the future chef would spend Friday and Saturday evenings in the kitchen with his father, experimenting with foods and flavors. “We used to have a great time cooking and talking,” he says. “Time spent with my family enjoying the process of creating new and familiar dishes came with a great reward as the end result.”

This approach carries over into the current day. “My philosophy is that people should enjoy food and the process of making it,” he explains. “My goal is to demonstrate the process of taking the fear out of cooking and enjoying the people closest to you while doing it. It’s priceless.”

Chef Mark is a graduate of Philadelphia’s prestigious Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College.

Since graduating, Chef Mark has held a unique array of culinary positions. Most notably, he served as Executive Chef at small, unique, Central Jersey restaurant. “It was an ‘Iron Chef’ position,” he explains. “My day started at 5 a.m., going to the markets and talking to local vendors, sampling foods to see what was best for the day. I would be back by 9 a.m. to start creating the evening’s menu, looking at the ingredients in terms of colors, textures, and flavor profiles.

“I educated the servers using the three ‘T’s: technique, tasting, and touching. There were no written menus. When clients came to dine, the servers would recite everything from apps to desserts, which enhanced the diners’ experience.”

Chef Mark has also worked within the commissary of an upscale supermarket chain. As Executive Chef, he was tasked with creating new food items, sales, and promotions, as well as providing culinary demonstrations in each of the gourmet markets. The chef educated the staff on selling, and most importantly, provided them with the tools needed to inform clients about ingredients such as gluten and other allergens.

One of Chef Mark’s most ambitious positions was serving as Executive Chef at Gate Gourmet, the company responsible for all food operations for First Class passengers flying out of the Philadelphia International Airport and Newark International Airport. The role was enormous and different from anything on the planet. As Executive Chef, he controlled all First Class meals for flights out of the two airports. Far beyond simply creating a beautiful presentation, it required knowing the processes and expectations of the all the major airlines, which each have very specific set of policies and specs that are measured daily.

“If you think food tastes the same on the ground as it does at 37,000 feet in the air, you are mistaken,” Chef Mark explains. “I had to adjust flavor profiles to reach the same result as it would have on the ground.”

Chef Mark was involved with the executive culinary team, creating menus and working on day-to-day operations. “We created thousands of meals, including those with dietary restrictions,” he notes. “It was similar to a restaurant – on steroids! Every food item was tracked every second of every day, with temperature controls for each room, scales, visual management, security…the list goes on. They are the most intense policies that I have ever seen. Essentially, it has to be like a four-star restaurant with wings, serving thousands of meals a day!”

Chef Mark’s accomplishments in these positions have reached far beyond the kitchen. All chefs are required to maintain food, cost, and labor controls at minimum, but Chef Mark also used his time to develop client relationships, menu designs specific to regions, and invent creative ways to build trust and develop a real partnership with his clients.

Chef Mark’s current gig takes him back to his roots, once again creating a daily menu of high-end packaged products at an upscale market and highly-sought-after, sophisticated catering company in a renowned Philadelphia neighborhood, allowing him the freedom to once again truly use his creativity in the kitchen. Chef Mark is BACK and ready to create interesting seasonal offerings for the gourmet market.