By TARA HETTINGER
Tara.Hettinger@newsandtribune.com
November 08, 2008 02:06 am
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With the smell of salmon, freshly made paninis and a multitude of desserts including chocolate cake in the air, patrons lined up outside Prosser School of Technology’s Culinary Arts Department to get a taste of the school’s changes.
Recently, renovations at the department created an open-style kitchen, where people can watch their food be prepared. That kitchen’s serving line is also longer, allowing more food options and more learning possibilities for the students.
Chef Gina Brown said she believes this is the first time the front of the kitchen has seen this kind of renovation since the building was built.
“We keep pinching ourselves,” Brown said, adding that all of the changes are hard to believe. “It’s so professional. And, a lot of this equipment [the students] see they will use out in the workforce.”
That new equipment includes a panini machine, steam tables and more.
Senior Drew Jones got to experience both the new and old versions of the kitchen.
“It’s amazing,” the Lanesville High School student said of the changes. “It’s so good to finally have the change. I think it’ll prepare us a lot more [for the work force].”
“It’s a lot bigger and better,” senior Amanda Crites, from Eastern High School, said. “There was no room last year.”
“We have a lot more variety of food this year,” senior Mary Bagshaw, from EHS, said.
It’s a change people can taste.
“We’ve got a whole lot more variety and more good food,” said Ron Zimmer, building trades teacher at Prosser who has been eating at the school for 12 years.
“It’s good,” said Michelle Foree, interpreter at Jeffersonville High School. “Some [JHS] teachers ask me to bring food back for them, too.”
Brown also said the new layout has increased sales. Last year, she said the cafeteria made about $200 on a good day. Now on a good day, they top $300.
She said that is increasingly important since the program is self-funding. The only ways the department makes money is through serving lunches and catering. With food prices continuing to rise, she said the additional revenue really helps.
Prices for lunch vary, with the most expensive being the day’s special — which includes a meat, starch, a side and a roll — for $5.
Lunches are made by the students with the supervision of chefs. Everything is homemade, except French fries and cheese sauce.
The cafeteria is open to the public.
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