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Photo by Corey Miller
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Williamsburg is extraordinary for a town of its size. We have highly-rated restaurants that appeal to local foodies and tourists alike. Keeping these kitchens staffed is a pressing need. There’s a new program at Thomas Nelson Community College for students interested in the culinary arts who need to be matched with jobs in our burgeoning culinary scene.
ChefsGO 1.0 is a “culinary kickstart program” where classroom lessons are mixed with hands-on kitchen training in some of the best kitchens in Williamsburg. The program moves the entry point in culinary careers from the typical dishwasher, then prep cook, right into the line cook step. It’s 13 weeks of classroom time three days a week, and then a 15-week paid mentorship in a restaurant.
“This program started because industry said, ‘We need more people as line cooks with fundamental skills who can work for us. Businesses are hurting because we can’t find these folks,’” said Robin Carson, the co-coordinator for the ChefsGo 1.0 program.
According to the National Restaurant Association, there were 378,600 food service jobs in Virginia in 2019 and that number is expected to grow by 10 percent in the next decade.
One of the program’s success stories is Madeline Duncan, 22, of Williamsburg, who worked at The Williamsburg Inn under Chef Travis Brust.
“I knew I was going to start going to culinary school when I heard about this program, taught by local chefs, so I signed up,” she said.
Duncan said her large family is one of the places she learned to love cooking, but the variety of the Inn really stepped up her skills, with the Rockefeller Room, the Terrace Room and the Goodwin Room.
“There were three different restaurants we serve with one kitchen. That’s a lot of menus to remember and keep up with,” she said.
Duncan’s biggest challenge: “Nothing prepares you for how fast paced it can be, other than getting in there and working it.” This spring, Duncan took her experience to become the head chef at Jimmy’s Oven and Grill in Norge.
Kitchen culture is an important part of getting up and running with a new job in a restaurant. Carson mentioned that commercial kitchens can be overwhelming if you’ve never been in one.
“Our students are not freaked out by the equipment; because of their experiences, they’ve already become comfortable and familiar. They might be nervous but they are knowledgeable, and they know the rhythm of the kitchen,” said Carson.
Basic prep skills are an important part of ensuring that everything is ready for that evening’s dinner—things like mastering dicing an onion quickly and prepping salads and desserts and working their way on to more advanced skills over time.
Chef Scot Hoyland runs the kitchens at Blue Talon Bistro and Culture Café after training in England and France, and he agrees that adapting the pace of a busy kitchen takes some time and training.
“Learning knife skills, kitchen etiquette and food safety is a good start. These are some of the things you need for success, and you need to practice and to be able to imitate people around you,” Hoyland said.
Hoyland also named a number of jobs these skills could lead to, including a la carte, food journalists, food stylists, grocery stores, retirement facilities and all of the different types of restaurants.
“This can be a very portable career. Start with the skills, and get your imagination going—it’s magic,” he said.
Some of that magic is entry into some of the best restaurants in the area.
Carson explains how: “Because all the lessons are taught by professionals, and classes are small, the students are exposed to all these great people. The chefs can really observe students during the process,” Carson said.
Meeting some of these key people and making a positive impression gives them a potential advantage to earn a chance to work somewhere like Waypoint or the Blue Talon or The Williamsburg Inn, where previously they would’ve need a personal referral or more experience.
Students enrolled in the program are actually a variety of ages, including people in their 40s and 50s up to this point.
“It’s tough to explain, it’s not a cooking class and it’s not a three-year cooking school—it’s less time but still a lot of work. Cooking is an art, supported with technical skills,” Carson said.
“Success for us is not just that people love it and stay working, but also that if they discover they like it, and continue their education or that they discover they don’t love it, and it saves time for everyone.”
A program like ChefsGO can improve the flow for employers, staff and restaurant goers.
“We need to keep pushing the bar higher in Williamsburg. This program helps with the workforce here and can help make everything better,” said Hoyland.
Natalie cannot dice an onion in less than a minute, or without streaking her mascara. But she loves to eat at Williamsburg’s restaurants and support local creative cuisine!
Madeline Duncan · madnessbvb@gmail.com
Chef Scott Hoyland Blue Talon Bistro,
Culture Café · hoyland@cox.net
Robin Carson · trcarson10@icloud.com