Eleven members of The Culinary School at the Food Bank of Delaware celebrated their achievements today during a graduation ceremony for the inaugural class at the Food Bank’s newly-expanded Milford facility.
Guest speaker, Dr. Christine Cannon, executive director, Arsht-Cannon Foundation, praised the program and urged students to “remember how it is that it feels today. . . . Consider other educational opportunities. The sky’s the limit. Love what you do, and remember to give back to others.”
Under the instruction of Food Bank of Delaware Chef Instructor Tim Hunter and the guidance of Brenda Palomo, Culinary School program manager, the students spent the past 14 weeks developing their skills in the culinary arts. From proper knife handling techniques to Serve Safe certification and completing a two-week internship, the students are prepared for entry-level jobs in the food industry.
The fact that the graduation ceremony coincided with the holiday season was not lost on Food Bank of Delaware President and CEO Patricia Beebe. “This is one great present. It doesn’t get any better than this,” she said.
“The first class of this culinary school represents long labor. Sometimes it is a test. This is the end of a long test, a successful test. We need to continue to raise funds to support this program.”
In addition to learning hands-on skills in the food bank’s industrial-sized kitchen, the students took field trips to food processing plants and urban food markets, these students also worked in preparing and serving at Dinner in the Orchard and for a Trustees of Color reception.
The kitchen opened in September, coinciding with the start of this class.
Following the ceremony, guests were served a lunch prepared by the new graduates. The students featured a menu of roasted red pepper hummus, seafood gumbo, roma tomato bruschetta, sweet potato salad with cranberries and pecans, pork or chicken tamales, orange roughie and spaghetti squash, New York strip steak with roasted brussel sprouts and apples, mac and cheese bites, macaroons, truffles, chocolate cupcakes and banana cake.
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