Meet GiGi: Culinary School Graduate and Entrepreneur

June 11, 2026

For GiGi, cooking has always been more than a hobby. It’s been a lifelong passion that has now grown into a business focused on creating healthier treats for people with dietary restrictions and food sensitivities. Thanks to the Food Bank of Delaware’s Culinary School, that dream is becoming a reality.

Before enrolling in the Culinary School, GiGi was working intermittently while raising her three children. After being laid off around the pandemic, she relied on her marketing and social media skills to generate income.

“I would literally walk into businesses and say, hey, do you want me to help you create content? And some business owners would do it, and that’s how I was pretty much making an income,” she recalls.

When she learned about the Culinary School, she didn’t hesitate.

“I’ve always loved to cook. I’ve cooked since I was a little girl,” Gigi explains.

She grew up in a household where her aunt was a baker and caterer, inspiring her love of food from an early age. She also had a dream of one day creating healthier desserts and snacks.

“It was really hard to find desserts and treats that were healthier. Even the vegan ones had a ton of sugar,” she says.

She hoped the Culinary School would provide the technical knowledge needed to turn her ideas into a business.

“Being a home cook, I didn’t know what the real chefs knew… I really wanted to know what they knew,” Gigi points out.

Known among instructors for her curiosity, GiGi embraced every opportunity to learn.

“I apparently hold the record of asking the most questions,” she jokingly says.

One of the biggest surprises was the level of support she received while enrolled.

“It felt really, like, an oasis, you know? And I thought I was just going to a school, but it was so helpful in so many other ways,” she says.

Today, GiGi is the founder of ARICE Premium Treats, a brand offering indulgent snacks and desserts made with clean ingredients.

“I created this brand that is nut-free, dairy-free, mostly gluten-free, and most importantly, sugar-free,” GiGi explains. “I make indulgent treats, anything from bread to cookies to sweets to crackers, anything at all that we can snack on or eat as dessert. And I use clean ingredients, superfoods only, no chemicals.”

Her products were inspired in part by her own health journey.

GiGi credits the Culinary School not only for providing technical skills, but also for helping her build confidence and connections.

“Although I was dreaming about it for a long time, I didn’t have the confidence to actually do it, but coming to the school not only did it give me the confidence, it put me in contact with people like Chef Tim [Food Bank of Delaware Executive Chef Tim Hunter].”

Those connections quickly opened doors. While assisting at one of Chef Tim Hunter’s cooking classes, GiGi met someone who invited her to cater a private dinner. That opportunity led to even more introductions and business opportunities.

“Just from helping Chef Tim at his cooking class, so many doors opened out of that,” she explains.

Just one year after graduating, GiGi is already building a loyal customer base through online sales and local farmers markets, including the Middletown Farmers Market and Newark Natural Foods Farmers Market.

“The feedback has been amazing and very encouraging,” she says.

One customer shared that her child with nut and gluten allergies was able to enjoy GiGi’s cookies without issue, a moment that reinforced GiGi’s mission, “That feels really fulfilling.”

Her products are also available at the Food Bank of Delaware’s cafés in Newark and Milford.

Looking back, GiGi believes she might never have launched the business if she hadn’t enrolled in the Culinary School.

“To be honest, I probably wouldn’t have started the business. It would probably still be a dream,” she explains.

When asked what advice she would give someone considering the Culinary School, her answer was simple:

“Well, my first advice would be do it,” she says. “I think it is a privilege, honestly, to be able to attend this school.”

And perhaps most importantly:

“You have to look at it as an opportunity and make the most of it,” she advises.

As her business continues to grow, GiGi remains grateful for the role the Food Bank of Delaware played in helping her transform a dream into a reality, “I would just want to say thank you to everybody at the Food Bank of Delaware, first of all, for the opportunity to go to the culinary school, and for all the support I’ve gotten from the Food Bank of Delaware up until now.”