Culinary training program provides “grounded” kitchen education
February 7, 2022
Althea Wilkinson always enjoyed cooking, but wanted to learn more about the process to become more “grounded” in the kitchen. Prior to enrolling in The Culinary School, she was an Amazon Flex and DoorDash driver and was doing catering and decorating on the side.
Initially, Althea wanted to go to school in New York. When she wasn’t able to get in, she saw that The Culinary School had availability.
Since starting class in December, she is learning there’s more to cooking than just throwing together some ingredients.
“I used to have a lot of food waste,” she explains. “I would throw out celery, carrots and onions. Now I can make a stock and not waste food. I can use it in different ways so I don’t have to lose money.”
With an interest in special events, Althea knows she can now market herself as a complete package – she can plan, decorate and cook for her customers.
“I can mesh this with decorating and have a grounded education in food,” she says.
Under the guidance of Chef Instructor Ron Roll, Althea and her classmates are learning both basic and high-end kitchen skills. From proper knife handling techniques to earning ServSafe® certification, the students are preparing for entry-level jobs in the food service industry.
Althea says pasta and herbed salmon are some of her favorite dishes to prepare.
And her advice to students considering the program? “If you are looking for a new start, looking to do something different or something difficult happened in your life and you want to start over, this is the place to come,” she advises.
Ready for a new career? The next free 14-week culinary training program in Newark and Milford begins on March 21. Apply today by clicking here.