The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College: Programs for Culinary and Hospitality Leaders
For over 40 years, Walnut Hill College has been dedicated to training and educating passionate and highly skilled leaders in the foodservice and hospitality industry. The college, formerly known as The Restaurant School, is a private institution focused on fine dining and luxury hospitality. It offers programs designed for individuals seeking a successful career in the culinary and hospitality fields. Each unique course of study prepares students to make a lasting impact in their chosen profession.
Myriad Degree Programs
Walnut Hill College offers a range of specialized degree programs to help students launch their careers in foodservice and hospitality. The college provides three specialized associate’s degrees and four comprehensive bachelor’s degree programs. These programs cover various aspects of the industry, ensuring that graduates are well-prepared for their future roles.
The college offers four majors: Culinary Arts, Restaurant Management, Pastry Arts, and Hotel Management.
Culinary Arts
The Culinary Arts program provides a comprehensive overview of creative cooking at the professional level. At Walnut Hill College, foundational techniques are just the beginning. The program starts with the fundamentals and progresses through a unique blend of hands-on, experiential learning centered around the operational kitchen and restaurant at Bistro Perrier. Students learn the fundamentals of cooking from expert instructors. The professional kitchens and open-to-the-public restaurant serve as classrooms, where students sharpen their knife skills and master the culinary techniques required to compose amazing dishes.
Pastry Arts
The Pastry Arts program is designed for future bakery owners and pastry chefs, providing them with the path to sweet success.
Read also: Comprehensive Internship Guide
Restaurant Management
The Restaurant Management program equips students with the tools necessary to manage or open their own dining establishment. A restaurant needs more than great cuisine to succeed; it needs a leader who knows food, finances, and organizational management.
Hotel Management
The Hotel Management program prepares students for management positions in hotels and resorts throughout the world.
Experiential Learning
One of the most exciting aspects of getting an education at Walnut Hill College is that the world becomes the classroom. Students prove their skills through real-world practice at Bistro Perrier, the on-campus restaurant open to the public, while learning concepts that will prepare them for managing the business side of a kitchen.
Travel Abroad Programs
To fully understand the global, cultural origins and practices of food and hospitality, every associate’s and bachelor’s degree student takes a tuition-paid trip abroad for a firsthand look at international hospitality. All Culinary and Pastry students in the associate degree participate in a week-long gastronomic tour of France. Restaurant and Hotel Management students participate in a week-long hospitality tour that includes behind-the-scenes tours of Walt Disney World Resort and other central Florida resorts followed by a cruise to the Bahamas.
The learning experience culminates with a week-long gastronomic journey through France that transforms the charming villages, iconic vineyards, and magnificent countryside of the Champagne and Burgundy regions of France into personal classrooms. Local chefs, winemakers, and food artisans guide students through fascinating tours, tastings, and meals.
Read also: UCF's Best Mexican Food
This week-long experience exposes students to all aspects of the industry, learning from professionals who truly understand the meaning of ‘hospitality.’ Students explore quaint pubs in small towns, including the oldest free-house in England, The Royal Standard.
Campus Experience
Choosing Walnut Hill College means getting to work in not one but four unique restaurants on campus. All of the award-winning restaurants are open to the public and give students the chance to hone their culinary and customer service skills. With over 50 student clubs and organizations to choose from, there are plenty of opportunities for recreation on and off campus. Activities include food, sports, art, gaming, music, and so much more.
Want to visit the campus from the comfort of a computer or mobile device? Take a virtual tour!
Community Engagement
Walnut Hill College extends its educational environment to the wider community through various programs.
Summer Institute for High School Juniors
Each year, Walnut Hill College presents its Summer Institute for high school juniors. This program gives a taste of what students experience during Culinary Arts, Pastry Arts, and Management classes.
Read also: A Memoir of Growing Up
Culinary and Chocolate Competitions
Every spring, Walnut Hill College holds its very own in-person Culinary and Chocolate Competitions to discover and recognize rising talent among high school students. Each competition is open to seniors in high school who have applied and been admitted to the college.
The Culinary Arts Competition challenges students to cook chicken and one side dish using an array of ingredients provided in the kitchens. While everyone receives the same chicken recipe, each student must create their own side dish without using a printed recipe on competition day.
For the Pastry Arts Competition, all of the students must bake a chocolate cake at home in advance of the competition. What sets each cake apart is the extraordinary design work that each student puts into his or her confection!
Each division of the Culinary and Chocolate Competitions awards scholarships to three winners in the amounts of $5,000, $2,500, and $1,500 to be used toward tuition at Walnut Hill College.
Community Education Program
The Community Education program invites the public into the world of Walnut Hill College, where they can learn about fine dining in a fun atmosphere.
Summer Camp for Children
There is also a unique summer camp perfect for children between the ages of 7 and 14 who love to cook or bake.
Alumni Success
As a Walnut Hill College graduate, students will be in good company. Alumni have taken their talents around the country and the world - and a few have shown up on TV cooking competitions - while others have made their marks closer to home, including Philly icons like Emilio Mignucci of DiBruno Bros. Students graduating with a bachelor’s degree may seek upper-level positions in the kitchen or other areas of foodservice.
tags: #the #restaurant #school #at #walnut #hill
