I was very disappointed with my experience in this culinary program. I waited a long time to…read morereceive financial aid, so when I finally started, I was excited and had high expectations.
Unfortunately, the baking program did not provide the foundation I expected. We did not have proper instruction in basic sanitation, food safety, knife skills, or kitchen safety, which I found to be a major red flag.This should be emphasized from the beginning. I also noticed poor practices regarding cross-contamination and uniform hygiene that were not addressed.
I did learn a few things during my time in the program, but overall, I felt like I was mostly thrown into the kitchen and expected to figure things out as I went. Having only one instructor responsible for everything made it difficult to receive the individual attention, instruction, and attention to detail that students need. There were times when I felt like I was not receiving a proper culinary education or learning the professional terminology and techniques that I should have been learning. The teacher would also often leave the class because he didn't buy the ingredients we need or the ingredients we had were expired.
I entered this program excited to build a strong foundation in baking and develop the skills necessary to work professionally in the culinary industry. Unfortunately, the education and structure I experienced did not meet those expectations. I believe the program needs stronger instruction in sanitation, food safety, kitchen safety, foundational techniques, professional terminology, and proper industry standards. Overall, my experience was disappointing, especially considering how excited I was to finally begin my culinary education.