Fanshawe College’s culinary students are gearing up to showcase their talent through an exclusive Spring Special Dinner Series and a high-stake cooking competition at The Chef’s Table restaurant. As the semester comes to a close, these events will provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate their skills in a real-world setting while offering the community a unique dining experience.

The Chef’s Table: A unique learning experience

Unlike traditional classroom settings, The Chef’s Table restaurant provides students with hands-on experience in a live, customer-facing environment, says Patrick Hersey, Fanshawe College’s Culinary School Program Coordinator.

“The Chef’s Table restaurant provides our students with experience in a ‘real-life’ (i.e., paying customers) environment. The students working in The Chef’s Table are participating in a graded course—this is a great example of learning on the job and provides a learning experience that is different from what we teach in our labs,” Hersey explained. “Students learn more about large quantity cooking, teamwork, and what it takes to be successful in business.”

Spring Special Dinner Series: A global culinary journey

The Spring Special Dinner Series kicked off March 28, and is set to feature a total of four nights of globally inspired fine dining, each crafted by fourth-level Culinary Management students. Other nights will be held on April 4, April 11, and April 17, with the series offering a six-course prix fixe menu for $60 per person, with each night highlighting a different cuisine.

The series began with a menu inspired by South American flavours, soon to be followed by European, North American, and Asian culinary themes in the following weeks. Each dining event will be fully designed and executed by a different group of students, giving them the opportunity to plan, prepare, and present an upscale menu in a professional setting.

Hersey emphasized how these types of events shape students’ learning experiences beyond the kitchen.

“The Signature Dinner Series is a project that gives the students an opportunity to hone skills needed for the workplace and exposes them to many things. Skills like teamwork, organizational skills, and creativity are challenged during these events. The course also helps prepare them for future courses offered in higher levels, where they can take what they have learned in this project and apply it to other coursework.”

Guests are encouraged to view the menus online through The Chef’s Table website and social media pages before making their reservations. With limited seating available, early bookings are recommended.

Supporting future culinary professionals

The dinner series highlights The Chef’s Table’s commitment to hands-on learning, providing students with the experience they need to succeed in the culinary industry. These events not only offer a platform for students to hone their skills but also allow the community to support local culinary education.

For Hersey, seeing students take over the kitchen for these events is one of the most rewarding parts of teaching.

“Seeing how far they have evolved skill-wise in such a short period of time and knowing that you played a part in that development is incredibly rewarding. I teach mostly in Levels 1 and 2 of the program, so to see such growth by the time they get to Levels 4 and 5—where they are pretty much running the kitchen by themselves some weeks—is pretty amazing to see!”

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit The Chef’s Table website or follow them on social media.