Fast Recipes Presents The Washburne Culinary Institute

The Washburne Culinary Institute has served the city of Chicago since 1937.  The Institute boasts an established reputation in the culinary arts field and low tuition costs.  We interviewed Chef William Reynolds, WCI’s Provost, about the advantages of attending the Institute.

What makes the Washburne Culinary Institute special?

I think Washburne’s place in history and its longevity in serving the city of Chicago since 1937.  Today, it is difficult to imagine a time without culinary schools; however the effort to develop formalized culinary education didn’t take shape in the United States until the first part of the twentieth century.  The motivation, in part, was the need to train cooks for the army during World War I.  Chefs at that time, who were mostly trained in Europe, were also anxious to improve the low prestige of their profession in the USA.  Developing a system for culinary training was the chosen way to improve their status.  Schools began to develop around the country, especially in California, Washington, New York, Connecticut and Illinois.  Chicago’s Washburne Trade School Chef Training Program, founded by Swiss Chef August Forster, was the most successful of these early forerunners.

Continuing today, Washburne offers a competitive training program at one third the cost of private culinary arts colleges. The affordability allows a diversity of students, from single parents to older adults seeking a career change.  Graduates continue to find excellent career opportunities because of the school’s national reputation. The Washburne name also symbolized the struggle to open the trade schools to minorities, a legacy that continues today on Chicago’s south side with the opening of City Colleges of Chicago’s new Kennedy King College campus, where the Washburne Culinary Institute resides.

Could you tell us about the teaching facilities?

Our new world class facility boasts six teaching kitchens, a demonstration theater, incubator kitchens and several public operations including The Parrot Cage Restaurant at the South Shore Cultural Center and the Fountain Café at Buckingham Fountain in Chicago’s loop area.  Our public operations give our students the opportunity to receive real world application of their skills and earn money while they’re learning.

We’re also proud of our incubator kitchens, designed to help facilitate start up food companies.  Knowing that most students come to culinary school with the dream of opening their own restaurant and also knowing how expensive it is to make that dream come true, we encourage our students to consider other entrepreneurial possibilities such as catering or specializing in cakes or supplying supermarkets with freshly made products.   We help with the start up cost by offering commercial kitchen space only when they might need it by renting it by the hour, day or month.

One of the modern features of our kitchen that distinguishes us is our pulping system.  Our 250 students daily send their food waste through this system to an extractor room where most of the water is removed resulting in only 30 gallons of biodegradable garbage per day. 

We have also partnered with the Chicago Park District to create the largest herb and edible flower garden in Chicago at our South Shore Facility.  Students working in our public restaurant only have to step outside to access a wide variety of fresh herbs to use in their cooking.

What kind of courses/programs do you offer?

Washburne’s wide range of programs allows students to choose the culinary path that best meets their interests, budget and long-term goals. Basic Certificates, Advanced Certificates and Associate Degrees are offered in Culinary Arts and Baking and Pastry Arts.  Students spend the majority of their time in hands-on practical application of culinary skills and cooking methods. Most classes run for six hours a day, four days a week.  The curriculum is evaluated regularly and updated frequently by an industry advisory board that includes well known Chicago chefs such as Charlie Trotter and Carlyn Berghoff.

What response have you received from your students?

Our students praise us for the individualized attention they get in class as well as outside of class. They appreciate the amount and variety of experience our faculty bring to the classroom. They are most appreciative that they can graduate without the burden of a huge debt and in many cases no debt at all due to financial aid assistance and a strong scholarship program supported by our foundation.

What is the admissions process like?

Prospective students have three opportunities to enroll as we run three sixteen sessions per year; August, January and May.  Although not required, we like to have a face to face meeting to discuss the applicant’s goals to ensure that our program is right for them and that they choose the best course of study to meet their needs. This can be done over the phone.  The next step is to assure that prospective students meet the Math and English scores to be successful in our program and then check with our financial aid department to see what assistance may be available. Our Dean of Instruction will meet with each student to approve their class schedule.  Once this step is complete, the student is ready to register.