The Culinary School at the Food Bank of Delaware provides hands-on training in basic and high-end kitchen skills, life skills and safe food-handling skills. The next culinary class will begin Feb. 13, 2017 in Newark and Milford, and applications are open for the 14-week program. The classes end with a two-week paid internship at a food service company.

Graduates can expect to earn starting salaries of $8 to $10 per hour with full benefits. Most students do not have to pay for training because donors offer scholarships and the Department of Labor and the Division of Vocation Rehabilitation provide funding based on students’ needs.

Under the direction of the Food Bank’s Executive Chef Tim Hunter and Chef Instructors Donnie Stephens and Tish Badamshin, students are introduced to a commercial kitchen, learn culinary mathematics, basic cooking techniques, presentation and baking skills, knife handling basics and ServSafe® food safety skills.

A Business Advisory Council made up of restaurant owners and food industry leaders helps to implement new programs, advises on curriculum matters and its members serve as expert speakers on culinary and life skills topics.

The Culinary School has graduated more than 490 students.

To learn more about The Culinary School, please e-mail Culinary Program Training Manager (New Castle County), Lynda Pusey at lpusey@fbd.org or Ruthann Messick (Kent and Sussex Counties) at rmessick@fbd.org.

To sponsor a student or donate to the program, visit https://www.elleevance.com/beventLive.aspx?EventID=NBI15699870