Culinary Partner Spotlight: Deerfield

February 1, 2017

The success of The Culinary School at the Food Bank of Delaware is dependent on not only our committed instructors/program managers, donors, community partners and students, but the food service partners who give our students an opportunity to thrive in this growing employment sector.

Deerfield in Newark is one of many partners committed to hiring students from our Culinary School.

Executive Chef Mike Josephick has been with Deerfield for one year and looks forward to growing the partnership with The Culinary School. Two graduates are currently employed at the golf and banquet facility and he is already looking for more.

“I think it’s [The Culinary School] great,” he explains. “They come out of there with knowledge. They are ready to hit the ground running as far as getting a job in this industry. They aren’t going to come in and be executive chefs over night, but they understand with time and perseverance and hard work that they put in, it’s limitless.”

Jeanne Smith with Executive Chef Mike Josephick

Malyka Demby graduated from The Culinary School in March 2016. She did her two-week internship with the banquet facility and was offered part-time employment as a result. Jeanne Smith graduated in October. And like Malyka, she did her two-week internship at Deerfield and was offered employment upon graduation.

Chef Josephick is impressed by these graduates

“They are getting good training,” he says. “They have knife skills coming out. They are ServSafe certified. They know what’s going on. They are doing it right.”

Malyka enjoys working Deerfield’s award-winning Sunday brunch. On this particular Sunday, she was staffing the carving station filled with lamb chops, Deerfield’s “million-dollar”  bacon, prime rib and more.

Malyka says learning knife skills, time and temperature and the opportunity to become ServSafe certified at The Culinary School have prepared her for employment at Deerfield. In addition to working Sunday Brunch, she also assists with special events and a variety of tasks at the seasonal Pub & Grille.

While Malyka is currently supplementing her part-time employment at Deerfield with another job outside the food service industry, she hopes her experience at Deerfield will help her land full-time employment within the industry.

Chef Mike is eager to share his experience in an effort to help catapult students like Malyka further in their careers.

“I want to give them the knowledge that I have learned over the years and prepare them for their next move. I realize they aren’t going to be here forever, but I want to help take them to the next level. To be able to help create opportunities for them is rewarding,” he says.

To make the Deerfield Sunday Brunch run smoothly it takes an entire team effort. With Malyka working the carving station, fellow alumna Jeanne was back in the bustling kitchen working the ovens. On this particular day she was baking French toast for the buffet.

Jeanne has been at Deerfield, also part-time, for four months. She got her start assembling appetizers for banquets. As she has learned more on the job, she has received new responsibilities like running the ovens.

She says the opportunity to work at Deerfield would not have been possible without The Culinary School.

Chef Donnie [Newark Chef Instructor] helped me get in the door. I learned skills there that I needed to do this job,” she says.

As she gains more experience, she says Chef Mike will begin to introduce more advanced work. She is already looking forward to being trained to work in the Grille & Pub when it opens this spring.

Interested in a career in the food service industry? Click here to learn more about The Culinary School at the Food Bank of Delaware. To learn more about Deerfield’s award-winning brunch, click here!