Ana De Sa Martins
formerly of Stubborn Seed | Miami, FL
May 2025
Born in Venezuela to a food-loving Portuguese family, Ana De Sa Martins left home at 18 years old. She moved to New York in 2011 where she became infatuated with restaurants. She learned English, devoured local food media, and enrolled at the Institute of Culinary Education. During an externship, De Sa Martins cut her teeth as a prep cook under Chef Josh Capon at Lure Fishbar, where splashes from hot grease and sputtering sauces made her less enthusiastic about working the hot line. After leaving for a brief stint due to her immigration status, she returned to New York to earn her bachelor’s degree in hospitality management at CUNY CityTech in Brooklyn, where she was offered the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in Alsace, France. While there, she found herself drawn to the precision and creativity of pastry work, especially decorating cakes, making ice creams, and perfecting classic French techniques. Stateside once more, she worked at Patisserie Chanson under Chef Rory Macdonald for two years, focusing on the art of creating balanced desserts.
During the pandemic, De Sa Martins found herself racing against the clock as her work visa neared expiration. With limited options, she moved to Miami to be closer to family and, just days before her relocation, landed a pastry chef position at Chef Jeremy Ford’s Stubborn Seed. De Sa Martins rose to the occasion and built the pastry program from the ground up, learning to organize, lead a team, and develop a menu under pressure. During her tenure at the Miami Beach restaurant, her menu focused on highlighting ingredients from local farmers, like her mango sago with local mangos and finger limes, bay rum leaf-coconut tapioca pudding, tropical fruit crémeux, and pandan meringue. Now, De Sa Martins is in the process of opening her own concept, Ophelia, a mobile bakery that will focus on seasonal pastries, sandwiches, and baked goods.
