Culinary Arts

Culinary Arts students gain invaluable skills and knowledge which are necessary to compete in post-secondary education or in the workforce. Practical experience takes place in our on-site facility. Students run the Dollhouse Restaurant, a full service, fine dining establishment which is open to the public. This experience challenges our chefs of the future with a menu which changes weekly. Students also operate a catering business and Bakeshop, which offers students and staff from STC and RHS creative meal choices during lunchtime. The program focuses on hands-on learning during which students become familiar with baking techniques, cooking methods, meat & fish preparation, meal & menu planning, cost analysis, purchasing, inventory control, marketing, business planning, sustainability, nutrition, customer service, and dining room etiquette.

What We Do

The Dollhouse Restaurant enjoys a fine reputation. Students are part of a community where everyone is responsible for the finished product. The Dollhouse is open to the public. The kitchen classroom at STC has all traditional equipment associated with finer restaurants, and it is the beneficiary of some of the newest technology, including flashbake ovens and a point of sales system.

Program Instructor

Greg Lynch

Greg has been at the Stafford Technical Center since the spring of 2004. As an alumnus of The Culinary Institute of America, Greg has earned over 25 years of experience in the Culinary Industry. With a focus and specialty in fine dining service and the catering industry, Greg knew he could inspire students with the same dream. In his free time, Greg enjoys golfing with colleagues and taking a ride on his motorcycle.
[email protected]

770-1041

 

Cassie Ciejko

Cassie joined Stafford in August 2021 and is also an alumnus of the STC Culinary Arts program. She attended Lincoln Culinary Institute in Hartford, CT, and graduated top of her class in 2014. With over 7 years of experience working in the Culinary industry and school systems, Cassie is happy to be back at Stafford to share her unique twist on cooking with the next generation of cooks. In her downtime, you may find Cassie driving her 1968 Bronco around town or heading into the woods to hunt for her next harvest-to-table meal.
770-1041

 

Nick Delauri, Class of 2007

Stafford was the hands on, interactive learning environment I needed. I knew sitting at a desk wasn’t for me and I knew I wanted to be a cook. Stafford seemed like the logical choice to jump start my career and get valuable experience. Just do it.

 

 

 

 

 

Program Advisory Committee


Name Business
J. Paul “Brownie” Brown Rutland Country Club Chef
Brittany Chase Rutland Country Club FOH Manager
Aaron Conway Kamuda’s Country Market
Vallerie Carara Performance Foods Sales Associate
Dave Gillam McCauley’s Food Service
Brian Kamuda Kamuda’s Country Market
Connie Mendall Occasions Catering
Donna Vargas Former Culinary Arts Instructor
Ken Shattuck Hannaford Bakery

Dual Enrollments/College Credits

Accelerated status agreement with the Culinary Institute of America (CIA)

Certifications

SERV/SAFE Certification, American Heart Association HeartSaver® First Aid/CPR with AED, Students completing 90% of the Core Competencies will receive a certificate from Stafford Technical Center.

Average Career Salaries


Jobs Average Salary
Prep Cook $25,676
Baker $27,380
Caterer $27,333
Sous Chef $44,369
Food Scientist $74,130
Executive Chef $63,772

*Average Salaries for Vermont taken from Zip Recruiter (ziprecruiter.com) in October 2020.

 

Requirements For This Program

Recommended Prerequisites: basic math skills – addition, subtraction, multiplication, division of fractions; measuring skills (weight and volume); simple money math; competency with fine motor skills; ability to work as part of a team and independently; ability to thrive in a fast-paced, physical environment
Reading Level of class materials: Grade 11.1

Scales for standards assessed in this program