Employment of chefs and head cooks is projected to grow seven percent in the next decade—much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor.
Nicolet College highlighted its culinary program this week with its first-ever Chef Week.
Nearly constantly lines were found at Nicolet College’s food truck rally this week as staff, students, and community members came out to try food from seven different businesses.
“We couldn't have got a better day. I mean, the weather is beautiful, the turnout has been amazing, just the best day,” said Vicki Mendham, the Culinary Arts Instructor.
The food truck rally capped off Nicolet’s Chef Week. The week included live cooking demonstrations and hands-on learning from local and state chefs.
Featured presenters included:
- Luke Zahm, James Beard Award semifinalist and co-owner of Driftless Cafe
- Jeff Dixon, craft cocktail expert and owner of Juliett Cocktail Lounge
- Mitch Below, Nicolet College Culinary Arts Instructor
- Joe Bending, owner of The Wandering Chef
- Dillon Carlson, chef and co-owner of The Old Reliable Food Service
- Joshua Peters, pitmaster and owner of Shank N Shig BBQ
“We wanted to do something different, something a little outside the box,” said Mendham. “We just had a grant that we got a new wood fired grill, and we got a new food truck and a bunch of other really cool things for our kitchen. We wanted a way to showcase that.”
Nicolet’s culinary program include culinary arts and management degrees. There’s a also certificates people can earn.
“I've been an instructor at Nicolet for 30 years now, so I get to see where my students have gone,” said Mendham. “Right behind us here, we’ve got Jake's Mobile Cafe, and he was one of our graduates from the program. It's really cool to see him go from working at several different area restaurants, got the experience, and now he runs his own food truck.”
Mendham says now that they have a food truck, Nicolet is looking to add food truck certificate or diploma to the program.
The food truck industry has grown substantially in recent years. That growth is expected to continue.
