Culinary Student Spotlight: Kenneth Nocks

July 23, 2015

By Chris Willis, Communications Intern

For Kenneth Nocks, applying for The Culinary School was a no-brainer, as cooking has always been an important part of his life.DSC_0376

“Cooking is something I grew up on and it now gives me peace and a state of mind,” said Kenneth.  So when his social worker told him about the opportunity, he jumped on it.

Kenneth is a member of the 40th class at The Culinary School at the Food Bank of Delaware. For the past 7 weeks, under the instruction of Chef Sean McNeice, he’s been applying his newly-developed skills to explore new foods to prepare and serve.

Chef Sean has been grooming Kenneth and his classmates for entry-level employment in the food service industry. They’re working on the skills that culinary employers are looking for. In return, many graduates enjoy financial stability and job security. Some of the skills Kenneth and his classmates have been practicing include ServSafe food safety, culinary mathematics, knife skills, sautéing and more!

Cooking rice has always been a challenge for Kenneth, “I can cook anything in the world, but had the biggest problem with rice,” he said jokingly. Thanks to Chef Sean’s help, Kenneth is on his way to preparing perfect rice.

While rice has posed challenges to his cooking repertoire, he loves making chicken and dumplings. Soul food is where it’s at,” he says!

Looking forward to post-graduation, Kenneth aspires to open his own food truck and then expand into a bar and bistro. He says that both would specialize in barbeque as it’s his specialty and an ode to his southern roots.

Kenneth is just one of hundreds of students who have been positively impacted by The Culinary School at the Food Bank of Delaware. Are you ready to make a career change? Applications are accepted throughout the year for our culinary training program in both Newark and Milford. Are you food service employer who wants to make a difference? We are in need of internship sites and employers! To learn more, visit http://www.fbd.org/the-culinary-school/.

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