Passing the Torch

Stratford Admin

8 hours ago

Last Day Lunch

A tradition at the School, after the final week of classes comes to a close, is to gather for what we call the Last Day Lunch. Our Level 2 students sit together and are served a fabulous lunch menu made by Faculty members and Level 1 students.

Staff, faculty and board members are also invited to enjoy this special Saturday afternoon, which marks the last time our 2025-2026 students will all be together in the same room, after working together in Dinner Labs for 16 weeks!

As Chef Randi put it, the gathering is a passing of the torch from the Level 2s who are completing the program, to the Level 1s who will be returning to step into their shoes in October, when they start their second year of the program. It’s a fun, yet bittersweet day celebrating friendships formed, camaraderie, and the accomplishments of our students.

Lunch Menu

Led by Program Manager and Instructor Randi Rudner and Chef Instructor Mike Booth, this year’s lunch was inspired by Chinese-Canadian cuisine. This was the menu:

Won Ton Soup

Char Siu Egg Rolls with Plum Sauce

General Tso’s Chicken

Honey-Hoisin Spareribs

Stir-Fried Beef and Broccoli

Fried Rice

Caramelized Banana with Ginger Ice Cream and Sesame Praline

A different cuisine is featured each year, and is always a fantastic feast.

Group Photos

After a wonderful lunch and quality time spent with their peers, the Level 2s change into their whites for last day group photos to be taken in the kitchens with members of the faculty, by our long-time photographer Terry Manzo, who is also a grad of the program! Check out the photo album from the day below!

Deep Clean

After the photo shoot, the hard work resumed! Students completed the day participating in a final deep clean of the School’s professional kitchens together, leaving it sparkling before they headed out to continue celebrating their completion of a demanding program.