75 Years of Culinary Arts

1995 Culinary Arts Ice Sculpture Competition

September 14, 1948, marked the day when Salt Lake Area Vocational School (SLAV) opened its doors to teach skills to future generations; one of those programs was Food Service. What started as an apprenticeship program has evolved into a degree program.

Cooking and baking were two of the original programs taught at SLAV. The two-year apprentice program was designed to teach students the skills necessary to obtain a job upon completing the program and advance in the field. The programs not only focused on the kitchen skills and chemistry of the food but also the theoretical aspect of the arts of cooking and baking.

By 1976, Utah Technical College, formerly SLAV, started offering one-year and two-year programs catering to students' wants and needs for their future careers. The one-year program was designed to prepare students with essential skills to enter the food service industry. At the same time, the two-year program was designed for those interested in management in the food service industry.

In 1989, a more formalized apprentice program was formed which lasted until the turn of the century. By 2003, the culinary arts apprenticeship program became eligible for an Associate of Applied Science (AAS). By 2010, the program ceased to be an apprenticeship program and an AAS degree was offered through the Gail Miller School of Business.

The program, just like the school, has undergone multiple reiterations. What started as a program to get students skills, knowledge and the ability to find a job in the field has evolved into a highly awarded and recognized program.

"The culinary arts program is not just a cooking program where students learn just to cook. We are more than that. We are about service, hospitality and working together as a team. We offer an industry-standard curriculum to empower our students to have the confidence to work or run their own kitchen once they graduate from SLCC," says Chef and Interim Dean Jeffrey Coker.

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