Starting in September 2024, the San Pedro Institute of Culinary Education (SPICE) will offer a fifteen-week culinary program in collaboration with the Holy Cross Anglican School and Gaynor’s School. The goal is to teach professional culinary techniques, starting with essential skills such as sautéing, braising, roasting, grilling, and egg cookery. The program is a part-time educational activity to accommodate those interested in learning about culinary skills.
The exact date when the classes will begin is yet to be confirmed, but it will take place at the Holy Cross Anglican School, established in 2006 as the first tuition-free primary school in San Pedro. The school has significantly impacted Ambergris Caye by providing essential education to children without access to primary schooling. Affiliated with the Anglican Archdiocese of Belize, the school serves 425 students and is the second-largest primary school on the island. However, reports indicate that many who reside in San Pedro never complete high school, highlighting the need for further educational support through vocational training.
To address this, Holy Cross is launching a vocational training initiative, starting with culinary skills training in partnership with experienced culinary professionals Dan and Gaynor Grant from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. This pilot project aims to expand vocational training in the future and have a transformative impact similar to primary school.
Gaynor Grant, the owner and operator of Gaynor’s School of Cooking in Pittsburgh, developed a 15-week course. He originally started the cooking school offshoot named “Peter Kumps” in New York City, New York, USA and later moved to Pittsburgh in 1994, renaming the school Gaynor’s School of Cooking. Gaynor’s philosophy of cooking education to professional standards is to provide educational and touristic opportunities to the fresh young minds of Ambergris Caye, helping them to develop permanent skills and obtain employment.
For more information regarding the project, visit https://www.spicebz.com/about-us, or to view the “Art of Fine Cooking” series, visit www.gaynorsschoolofcooking.com.
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