Ciara Finley
Chef & Culinary Entrepreneur • Community-Focused Creative • Louisiana Hospitality Leader
Chef Ciara Finley, a New Orleans native, developed her love for cooking at an early age, inspired by her Mississippi-born mother’s Southern recipes and the rich Creole traditions of her hometown. With more than 15 years of leadership experience in the spa and hospitality industries, she discovered a passion for serving others that naturally evolved into launching her own catering business in 2016. What began as a personal mission, to create fresh, clean, allergen-free meals for her daughter, quickly grew into a thriving culinary enterprise.
A graduate of the Louisiana Culinary Institute, Chef Finley earned the Culinary Excellence Award and advanced degrees in Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry. She is a Certified Culinarian and Certified Pastry Culinarian through the American Culinary Federation and holds multiple hospitality and nutrition certifications. Chef Finley has worked at Augusta National Golf Club during the Masters Tournament, earned ACF Best Chef honors (2020, 2024), and was named a Louisiana Cookin’ “Chef to Watch.” She now leads her full-service catering company and event venue, Desiderata Kitchen.
