Chef and Staff

Executive Chef Jim Allen joined The Echo Lake Inn staff over a year ago. Jim has great passion for all things culinary and excels in the area of creating new and unique dishes that will delight your palate. Growing up in Connecticut Jim started cooking in a classic Italian Restaurant where fresh local seafood played a prominent role.  After moving to Vermont in 1994, Jim worked under a classically trained French Chef and rose to the executive chef position where he utilized Vermont’s fine local cheeses, produce, and meats.  

Jim consulted in the opening and running of a successful Irish restaurant for several years.  He brings his well-rounded and extensive knowledge to The Echo Lake Inn where he utilizes the best local ingredients and top products from around the world. His classical French training as well as his experience with local Vermont farm fresh food gives his cuisine a unique and sustainable flare.   

Being a resident of our beautiful town of Plymouth, you can find Jim mowing lawns, doing contracting work, or leading the Plymouth Volunteer Fire Department as their fire chief. In Jim’s free time he enjoys spending time with his wife (our pastry chef) Bonnie, their two children, as well as his three dogs. He is a valued member of the Plymouth community assisting with various community events, and is enjoying the creative culinary freedom he has here at The Echo Lake Inn. 

Chef Katie Schneider has been with Echo Lake since 2018. She has over fifteen years of experience in the culinary field and has worked in a number of nearby inns and restaurants. Katie enjoys all the aspects of a culinary career including preparation, menu design, and presentation. Katie enjoys the creative process of pairing different foods and has an unwavering commitment to quality.
Katie plays a critical role in our events management team and is involved in all aspects of planning the culinary choices for weddings, reunions, and corporate retreats. Katie holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in nutrition from Johnson and Wales University as well as an associate’s degree in the Culinary Arts. When Katie is not creating culinary masterpieces she can be found enjoying the outdoors in her garden, relaxing and enjoying a local craft beer, baking cakes and desserts, or cozied up with her three cats Pumpkin, Molly, and Phoebe

Pastry Chef Bonnie McGhie Allen started her culinary career as a teenager cooking in restaurants. She went to Johnson and Wales University earning her Culinary degree graduating Summa Cum Laude. She then went on to earn her Pastry degree graduating Magna Cum Laude. Bonnie worked as a Pastry Chef in Newport, Rhode Island before moving to Vermont in 1994. In 1997 Bonnie made Julia Child’s 85 birthday cake. It was a thrill! Julia was filmed eating a slice on “Good Morning America”.

After working as a Pastry Chef at the Kedron Valley Inn in Woodstock she bought Sweet Surrender Bakery in Ludlow. For 22 years Bonnie owned and operated Sweet Surrender making a wide assortment of baked goods from scratch. Everything from Danish to donuts, bread and wedding cakes, often supplying couples at the Echo Lake Inn with their wedding cake and wedding day treats. Bonnie joined the Echo Lake Inn team in 2023 making pastries, cooking breakfast and assisting the kitchen team.