KEC knows what’s cookin’

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This article was published 25/10/2019 (2270 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s a poorly kept secret that there’s something special cooking at Kildonan-East Collegiate.

For years now, the culinary and pastry arts programs at the vocational school, which is located at 845 Concordia Ave., have enjoyed high enrolment numbers while preparing students to enter the workforce.

“We’re the top program for enrolment in the school,” Jamie Labiuk, culinary arts instructor at KEC. “The program provides students with the tools they need for the industry.”

“It’s a popular program,” said pastry arts instructor Ainsley LaFleche. “It’s a great way to learn by actually doing, by getting your hands dirty.”

Each morning, culinary and pastry arts majors spend two hours preparing food that will be served in KEC’s cafeteria or working on special catering orders. 

“The menu changes every day,” Labiuk said. “The only thing that is standard is bacon cheeseburgers and fries. Other than that, they see a different fast food, main course, salad, sandwich, that kind of thing.”

“The fridge is my parts bin, the counter top is my work bench,” said Geordan Lang, a Grade 11 culinary arts major. “If I’m working with my hands, I’m happy.”

“It’s a fun class,” LaFleche said. “We try our best to be creative.”

“I really like how every time it’s something different,” said Melina Bailey, a Grade 12 student majoring in pastry arts. “You’ll be doing cupcakes one day and the next you’ll be doing donuts or churros or a cake.”

Students spend another hour in the classroom, studying theory or writing tests.

Interested Grade 9 and 10 students can take introductory courses before deciding to major in either program. 

Grade 11 and 12 students who complete the culinary arts program with 70 per cent or higher on their tests qualify for their level 1 apprenticeship in the Red Seal program at Red River College. Culinary arts majors also have the opportunity to gain experience working at food service providers within Bell MTS Place and the RBC Convention Centre.

“I love it there, it’s fun, very busy,” said Tristen Vandenberg, a Grade 11 culinary major who started working at Pizza Pizza at Bell MTS Place this fall. “It’s lots of fun, you’re learning every day.”

Pastry students have the opportunity to enter Skills Manitoba baking competitions. LaFleche noted that 11 past students have won gold medals at the competition between 2007 and 2019, while another three have won silver or bronze. Calia Pacle, who graduated from the program last year, won the gold medal at the national competition.

“I wish I’d had something like this in high school,” LeFleche said.

While the school’s industrial kitchen is a state of the art facility in and of itself, the baking lab at KEC got a million-dollar makeover within the last four years.

“I consider this space in this program one of if not the top in the province,” LaFleche said. “It’s better than most industry bake shops. We have everything here to teach the kids, so that when they go out and potentially get jobs, they’ve been trained well.”

As a means of putting all their skills to the test, each semester the culinary program will be hosting a “gourmet luncheon,” which is open to members of the public to attend, on Thurs., Dec. 12, with food service beginning at 11:30 a.m. A second luncheon, prepared by Grade 12 students, will be held in June.

This year’s winter menu includes a deep-fried brie appetizer, with roasted rack of lamb as the main course. The dessert, a lemon mousse dome filled with raspberry gelée, will be prepared by pastry students.

“The main focus is always on the kids,” said culinary instructor Bob Klassen. “Not only do the kids get a chance to see a full service from start to finish, how it’s made, how it’s plated, how it’s brought out to people and presented, and how we take it down.”

The luncheons also allow the public to get a taste of what KEC students are cooking up.

“When you’re making food for other people, you feel the best when you’re giving it to them to enjoy,” Klassen said.

Tickets to the gourmet luncheon on Dec. 12 can be purchased at the Kildonan-East cafeteria. For more information, call 204-667-2960 ext. 2434

Sheldon Birnie
Community Journalist

Sheldon Birnie is a reporter/photographer for the Free Press Community Review. The author of Missing Like Teeth: An Oral History of Winnipeg Underground Rock (1990-2001), his writing has appeared in journals and online platforms across Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. A husband and father of two young children, Sheldon enjoys playing guitar and rec hockey when he can find the time. Email him at sheldon.birnie@freepress.mb.ca Call him at 204-697-7112

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