SPC Hosts Culinary Conference

From June 13 through June 15, the St. Philip’s College Tourism, Hospitality, and Culinary Arts department hosted its fifth ProStart Educators Training Conference on the MLK campus. This three-day event supports new high school culinary teachers from the local area, offering them a unique opportunity to enhance their skills and knowledge in culinary arts education.

The conference was a collaborative effort by a diverse team of culinary experts. Among the instructors were four chef instructors from St. Philip's College: Patrick Costello, John Munoz, Sarah Pequeno, and Cindy Delafuente; two chefs from the U.S. Coast Guard’s culinary team: Justin Reid and Edward Fuchs; Robbie Bennett, a chef from the knife company Zwilling; and Jason Avelson, a corporate chef from Hormel Foods.

The primary goal of the conference was to equip nearly 100 new culinary teachers with techniques they could take back to their classrooms. The training covered a wide range of topics, including knife skills, cooking techniques, and basic principles for baking and pastry. The use of kitchen equipment was another key focus, emphasizing how to operate and maintain various tools and appliances safely and effectively. Conference material covered the art of creative plating, teaching participants how to present dishes aesthetically.

St. Philip’s College Chef Instructor Patrick Costello highlighted how hosting this conference benefited the college as a recruitment opportunity, stating, “A high school instructor from the Houston area attended the conference and was so pleased with learning outcomes that she returned the following week with four students to tour our building and learn about the Culinary Arts program. After the tour, we walked them to the Welcome Center and helped them enroll in our college.”