Circle Z Chefs - Circle Z Ranch

We believe a fine dining experience is a special and unique moment; a warm setting, a chef taking great care in their planning and executions, and an atmosphere of invigorating conversations. This is the dining magic at the Circle Z Ranch, where our guests are left both satisfied and longing for more. And this season we are so pleased to  introduce our exceptional dinner and pastry chefs, who have a deep love for their creations and a love of the ranch life.

Pastry Chef Lydia Fairlamb

Lydia Fairlamb is the pastry chef at Circle Z Ranch. She is originally from York, Pennsylvania but loves the warm weather of Arizona. She graduated in 2019 from The Culinary Institute of America with a degree in Baking and Pastry Arts, and in 2021 from Johnson & Wales University with a Bachelors in Food and Beverage Entrepreneurship. While she loves baking of all kinds, her favorite dessert to eat is ice cream, the weirder the flavor the better! Bring on the mint-peanut-butter-ripple! In her spare time she loves going on long hikes, knitting, playing the harp, and dreaming up the fun flavor concoctions she might someday sell in a bakery of her own, (lasagna cake anyone?) Good food is a huge part of a good vacation, and Lydia can’t wait for you to try what we’re cooking up here at Circle Z.

Chef Natasha Billiot

My name is Natasha Billiot and I was born and raised in Houma, Louisiana. I had the passion for cooking since I was younger and my father helped nurture it. As I got older I learned that I loved learning about different cultures and ethnic groups though the cuisine that they cook.
Even now I love learning about new cooking styles and ingredients that I bring into my everyday cooking. I graduated from the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute in Thibodaux, Louisiana with a bachelor’s degree in Professional and Pastry Culinary Arts. Through out my culinary career I have worked at some amazing dude ranches such as Brush Creek Ranch in Wyoming and Bar Lazy J in Colorado. While working in New Orleans I worked as the Pastry Manager at Maypop, an award winning restaurant. Now I am doing seasonal work to move around and learn more about things I could only read about.I am so excited to join the Circle Z team this season!

Chef Suzanne Surber

Hello! My name is Suzanne E. Surber. As a child, cooking beautiful meals with my grandmother introduced me to the gift of food and the joy of smelling it cooking. As an adult, traveling has given me a chance to work with Michelin star chefs and learn in French restaurants on the coast. I have over 30 years of experience in various kitchen disciplines as an executive chef, pastry chef, and kitchen manager. Farm-to-table gardening is also an interest of mine and I enjoy growing vegetables, micro-greens, and edible flowers for my kitchen. Outside of work, I enjoy being an artist, creating abstract realist nature-inspired paintings.