What Does It Take To Be a Student at Stratford Chefs School?
Hey Food Lover! Go behind the scenes at Stratford Chefs School for an up-close look at what happens at Culinary School. In this Webinar, you’ll hear from Executive Director Kim Cosgrove (Class of 2003), Program Manager & Instructor Randi Rudner (Class of 2012), Alumni Daniel Cassar (Class of 2022) and Jazmyn Munn (Class of 2021), and Alumna and former Admissions Director Elizabeth Kerr (Class of 2021) to discover the real deal.
Hear their stories. Applaud their successes. Learn more about our 32 Week Professional Program and what it takes to be a Stratford Chefs School Student.
Watch Video Webinar
Webinar Panelists
Program Manager & Chef Instructor Randi Rudner (Class of 2012)
Randi Rudner talks about her work at the School in an administrative capacity and as a chef instructor, explains what her experience was like as a student at Stratford Chefs School, and describes the broad and intensive Stratford curriculum.
Stratford Chefs School was a revelation to me. The quality and depth of the instruction, the rigorous insistence on proper technique, the uncompromising standards all opened my eyes to the kind of chef I wanted to be and gave me something to aspire to.
I found myself immersed in a very small and personal community of instructors and likeminded peers, which was almost the complete antithesis of my university experience at a very big impersonal school.
There’s something to be said for attending a School that focuses so narrowly on just a single thing. Our culinary program is literally all we do. It is not one program in a sea of other programs.
Randi Rudner
Click image below to watch Randi’s video segment.
Alumnus Daniel Cassar (Class of 2022)
Daniel speaks about his experiences in Dinner Labs and the value of visiting Guest Chef mentors, an essential and inspiring part of the Stratford Chefs School curriculum.
Presenting the labs was fulfilling … seeing myself grow from week 1 to week 16, seeing the different dishes I was able to put up, and see how my skills improved, and how I became more efficient, everyone around me became smoother, faster, quicker, and worked better as a team. It was really inspiring!
Daniel Cassar
Click image below to watch Daniel’s video segment.
Alumna Jazmyn Munn (Class of 2021)
Jazmyn shares how much growth and learning she gained over the short duration of the program, and the special camaraderie and teamwork that developed with her fellow students and Faculty members.
Right from the get-go, you’re running, and you’re learning right away… it’s so wonderful and you’re learning so much.
Jazmyn Munn
Click image below to watch Jazmyn’s video segment.
What is a “normal” day of School like?
Click image below to hear Daniel and Jazmyn describe a typical day in the life of a Stratford Chefs School student.
Executive Director Kim Cosgrove (Class of 2003)
Kim explains the “nuts and bolts” of running the School, including provincial government regulatory oversight, how Apprenticeship works, financial aid incentives and opportunities that are available to support our students, what living in Stratford is like, and the history and origins of the School.
Stratford is very much like the school community, it’s very small, it’s very personal, it’s an arts, very culturally-inspired community, and a restaurant and food-centred community as well. Often people come to the Chefs School and don’t anticipate staying in Stratford, but they end up doing so based purely on falling in love with the community.
Kim Cosgrove
Click image below to watch Kim’s video segment.
Q & A
How difficult is it to get work placements between Level 1 and Level 2?
How difficult is it to find accommodations in Stratford?
How is the transition from class work to a working kitchen?
Based on a regular day, what was the outside of class study-homework load like?
How does the diversified curriculum help a student decide if, and in what way, they might specialize in a particular area or type of cuisine?
Are there networking opportunities in Stratford?
Have any of your students started their own business, rather than working in a restaurant?
How long is the break between Level 1 and Level 2?
Click image below to watch our panel answer the above questions.
Learn More
Do you have questions about our Program?
Contact us to learn more | Email admin@stratfordchef.com or call 519.271.1414