Craig Youdale, Niagara College’s Dean of Culinary, Tourism, and Beverage Studies, joined Anthony Luongo on YourTV to discuss A Chef’s Journey, NC’s new dinner series that showcases the College’s academic chefs alongside featured alumni and a team of students.
He shared the inspiration behind the series, explaining, “We have amazing chefs in the region–some of the best in Canada–but they’re often hidden away in the lab. We wanted to bring them into Benchmark so they could have some fun. We also wanted students to reflect on who they are as people. They’ve had incredible careers, traveled the world, and done amazing things, so we wanted to create an opportunity for people to come and truly [get to know them and experience the excellence of our program].”
Youdale also spoke about the sold-out event where he served as the featured chef. When asked about his approach to menu presentation, he said, “For me, and for the entire series, it’s really about exploring the careers of the featured chefs–where they’ve been, what they’ve done, what has inspired them, and the places they’ve visited.”
In addition, Youdale spoke about NC’s new Student Experience Scholarship Fund, which will provide scholarship awards for select students from the schools of Culinary Arts, Hospitality and Tourism, and Wine, Beer, and Spirits. Instead of leaving gratuities at Benchmark restaurant or special events hosted by the Culinary, Tourism, and Beverage Studies division, guests will be encouraged to donate to the fund.
“This helps support students who do things outside the classroom–whether it’s participating in this event, helping out at Open House, orientation, or contributing to major events like Project Brew or Caps, Corks, and Forks,” he said. “We want to encourage and reward students for their dedication, and we created this scholarship to support them.”
Watch the February 5 segment here.
