‘Housewives’ star brings culinary degree program to Memphis
When the students of Remington College’s new Culinary Skills Essentials diploma program arrived Monday morning, they set foot into a brand new state-of-the-art facility.
Remington College is offering a new culinary program for their Memphis campus and they have spared no expense on the new training facilities.
All the equipment is brand new. The bakery lab is outfitted with two Blodgett double convection ovens, a proof box, Boos Block workstations, cherry red Kitchen Aid stand mixers and Globe induction burners. The savory kitchen has a 10-burner Southbend gas range, a fryer and a Wells charbroiler grill. Equipment one would find in a professional restaurant kitchen.
The program is also a new offering to the nationwide nonprofit college.
Culinary Skills Essentials diploma students at the Memphis campus will be the first to experience the new culinary program “Remington College presents Kathy Wakile‘s Real Culinary Kitchen” as part of the college’s Culinary Training Center.
A best-selling author and restaurateur, Wakile was one of the stars of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey.” She made a splash in the culinary world by drawing on her experience growing up in an Italian-american home surrounded by fresh, delicious home cooked meals and baked goods.
“At Remington College, we aim to help our students learn from the best experts in their fields,” said Remington College President Pam Bell. “Kathy Wakile has built upon her cooking passions into a successful business. This is an incredible opportunity for our students to learn hands-on skills from her, and we’re thrilled for this partnership.”
The Culinary Skills Essentials program provides students training in how to work in a kitchen, as well as in restaurant management, nutrition, event planning and small business management. It is meant to prepare students for a number of positions in the food service industry.
“After graduating, our students will be able to get started right away in the food service industry with entry-level jobs as line cooks, bakers and caterers. This program is a stepping stone into these positions,” explained Heather Mciver, the college’s senior vice president of institutional innovation.
Wakile added, “Our students will learn the basics to enter and be successful in the food world.”
The four-day-a-week program is designed with working students in mind. Instruction is comprised of hands-on bakery and savory kitchen classes, as well as an online theory component that students can take at home. Both day and night classes are offered. Students will also staff an in-school bakery café that will service the 450 students of the Memphis campus.
Wakile designed the program in tandem with Bell and the Memphis program chair Luahn Thomas. Thomas and other local chefs will teach day-today classes. Wakile, who lives in New Jersey, said she hopes to visit often.
The eight-month diploma program is one of the only professional culinary programs currently in Memphis.
On Monday, the program starts with 37 slots filled of its 40-student capacity.
“One of the things that is unique about our program is that we have rolling enrollment,” said Wakile. Each month, new students can join the program.
Wakile gained fame in 2011 when she joined the cast of Bravo’s reality TV show “The Real Housewives of New Jersey.” She started in Season 3 and stayed on the show through Season 7.
She credits the show with helping her launch her culinary career. “When you showcase what you do in your everyday life, gifts and skills that you take for granted are noticed by others. The show highlighted my gifts for cooking and entertaining, and that has become my next chapter.”
In the future, Remington College hopes to expand the culinary program to its other campuses across the country. Associate degree programs in culinary management and restaurant management will be added to the curriculum of the Memphis campus later this year.
For more information, remingtoncollege.edu. visit