College’s new culinary arts program starts cooking in September
Story by Juliana Wallace
For Chef Nina Urioste, cooking is much more than a job or a class she teaches.
She sees the kitchen almost like an artist’s studio: a place to create, a place to capture memories and, here in Grays Harbor, a place to build professionals.
“Through cooking, you can express yourself through aromas, through textures, through taste. You show who you are,” explained Urioste. “And then you are building yourself. Because flipping hamburgers is important, but there is also more than that in cooking, way more.”
Beginning this fall, an inaugural culinary arts program at Grays Harbor College gives students the opportunity to discover their own passion for cooking. At the same time, the program will prove a significant boon to local businesses.
“Coming from the industry, I can tell you there is a huge need for line cooks and prep people and anyone with basic skills in a kitchen,” said Candi Bachtell, who owned the popular Savory Faire restaurant in Montesano for 37 years. “We don’t have enough, and it does hold back a lot of restaurants from opening or continuing on.”
In addition to being a longtime restaurant owner, Bachtell’s background includes developing a culinary arts curriculum for Aberdeen High School and teaching there for five years, as well as teaching classes for Montesano Community School and at her private cooking school.
Recognizing both the need for culinary professionals and the need for individuals to develop highly marketable skills, Greater Grays Harbor, Inc. awarded the college a grant to develop a culinary program. The college hired Bachtell in May 2024 to begin writing curriculum for the program.
“Because of my background in developing a Career and Technical Education culinary arts curriculum for AHS, which was originally a home economics program, I was hired under the CHEF grant to develop a curriculum for Grays Harbor College and revive the community education program,” Bachtell explained.
Then, last fall, the college brought another experienced chef, Urioste, on board as the instructor for the program.
Currently, the culinary arts program includes a one-year, 54-credit certificate designed to prepare students for entry-level jobs in the culinary industry. With the certificate as the foundation, the college is working toward the goal of also offering a two-year culinary degree program. But even the certificate program gives students a significant boost.
“In less than a year, students can get the skills they need for an entry level position. And because they have those skills, they can advance very quickly,” Urioste said.
For instance, by the end of the first quarter of the program, students will have earned their ServSafe certification. This initial certification means they can legally apply for a supervisor position.
More importantly, the culinary program teaches students the whys and hows of cooking, as well as critical aspects of professionalism. For example, they will learn how to confidently choose the right cooking method for a specific cut of meat. They will also learn how to handle inventory, work with vendors and manage a kitchen. And they will learn the important extras that promote an eating experience designed to bring customers back again and again.
Many of the skills students learn will transfer to other professions, as well. “Students will learn important durable skills that will make them marketable to employers,” said Cathy LeCompte, Dean for Workforce Education at the college.
Urioste agreed, stressing that while the program is not difficult, it is intense. “Employers need somebody who is willing to work, to push hard, and to be prepared for challenges. That’s what we’re preparing them for.”
In September 2024, the college unveiled a brand-new student center that features a state-of-the-art culinary lab. They gave the student center the name “tulalW,” which means “together” in the Quinault language. While the name tulalW was initially chosen to reflect the gathering spaces in the building, it also invokes the critical role of food in bringing communities together.
For Urioste, that community aspect is significant. Now a resident of Humptulips, she grew up in the Russian countryside. Without the supermarkets that Americans are used to, communities in Russia depended on gardening, farming, foraging, hunting and exchanging goods. People made use of the ingredients outside their windows, and they supported each other, she said.
With that background, Urioste aims to promote Grays Harbor cuisine while emphasizing principles of zero waste and hyper local cooking. To that end, the Grays Harbor program takes a unique approach of farm to table, tide to table and trail to table.
“The Pacific Northwest is a fantastic place to forage almost all year long and not knowing how to use these resources is almost like a crime to me,” Urioste said. “I believe we can find what is so unique about this place and offer it in every restaurant, make it our selling point.”
As a step toward building a more sustainable, local kitchen, Urioste petitioned the college for garden space. This spring, with the help of volunteers from the community, she planted a fledgling garden in a sunny spot right outside the door of the culinary lab. She has also built relationships with farmers in the area who will both supply local ingredients and use the food waste generated in the program.
In addition to the garden, the culinary lab boasts state-of-the-art facilities including a bakery, a large professional kitchen and a cold room for working with meats and other perishables.
The program also has access to a well-equipped pantry in the student center’s event center. From gleaming ovens to countertops built by the college’s carpentry program and hand-selected serving plates, students have the tools they need to prepare them for professional life.
With a sparkling new culinary lab, experienced faculty, a chef’s garden, and a curriculum designed for today’s hospitality needs, the culinary arts program is ready to welcome its first students this fall. Classes start on September 22, and students can enroll up to the first day of classes. For more information, go to the Grays Harbor College website (ghc.edu) and search on “culinary arts.”
Cooking classes for all
While the for-credit culinary program prepares students for the culinary profession, not everyone has a goal of working in a restaurant or catering business. Consequently, last year the college offered several culinary classes through its community education program. These affordable courses bring a wide variety of people together to learn new skills under the tutelage of instructors from the community.
For example, the college offered two series of non-credit culinary classes. The Chefs in the Kitchen series created a culinary journey to celebrate the vibrant flavors and talents in the community and included classes in areas such as wood fired pizza and bread making. A second series explored the intersection of cuisine and culture and included culinary traditions from France, India, Poland and more.
“I love how excited people were and how we were anxious to see each other each week and spend time together,” recalled Candi Bachtell, who organized the program. “There’s something about food and community that just fits together.”
The community education classes include a nominal cost to cover the supplies, teaching and experience, typically ranging from about $50 for a single class to $125 or so for a series, depending on the materials involved. In most cases, students can take either a single class or sign up for the whole series.
Community members interested in signing up for a community education class should send an email to ce@ghc.edu. In addition to cooking classes, the college has offered courses in print making, watercolors, photography and more. Classes will be offered at the Grays Harbor campus in Aberdeen, with new community education centers underway in Raymond and Ilwaco.
“Through cooking, you can express yourself through aromas, through textures, through taste. You show who you are,” explained Urioste. “And then you are building yourself. Because flipping hamburgers is important, but there is also more than that in cooking, way more.”
Beginning this fall, an inaugural culinary arts program at Grays Harbor College gives students the opportunity to discover their own passion for cooking. At the same time, the program will prove a significant boon to local businesses.
“Coming from the industry, I can tell you there is a huge need for line cooks and prep people and anyone with basic skills in a kitchen,” said Candi Bachtell, who owned the popular Savory Faire restaurant in Montesano for 37 years. “We don’t have enough, and it does hold back a lot of restaurants from opening or continuing on.”
In addition to being a longtime restaurant owner, Bachtell’s background includes developing a culinary arts curriculum for Aberdeen High School and teaching there for five years, as well as teaching classes for Montesano Community School and at her private cooking school.
Recognizing both the need for culinary professionals and the need for individuals to develop highly marketable skills, Greater Grays Harbor, Inc. awarded the college a grant to develop a culinary program. The college hired Bachtell in May 2024 to begin writing curriculum for the program.
“Because of my background in developing a Career and Technical Education culinary arts curriculum for AHS, which was originally a home economics program, I was hired under the CHEF grant to develop a curriculum for Grays Harbor College and revive the community education program,” Bachtell explained.
Then, last fall, the college brought another experienced chef, Urioste, on board as the instructor for the program.
Currently, the culinary arts program includes a one-year, 54-credit certificate designed to prepare students for entry-level jobs in the culinary industry. With the certificate as the foundation, the college is working toward the goal of also offering a two-year culinary degree program. But even the certificate program gives students a significant boost.
“In less than a year, students can get the skills they need for an entry level position. And because they have those skills, they can advance very quickly,” Urioste said.
For instance, by the end of the first quarter of the program, students will have earned their ServSafe certification. This initial certification means they can legally apply for a supervisor position.
More importantly, the culinary program teaches students the whys and hows of cooking, as well as critical aspects of professionalism. For example, they will learn how to confidently choose the right cooking method for a specific cut of meat. They will also learn how to handle inventory, work with vendors and manage a kitchen. And they will learn the important extras that promote an eating experience designed to bring customers back again and again.
Many of the skills students learn will transfer to other professions, as well. “Students will learn important durable skills that will make them marketable to employers,” said Cathy LeCompte, Dean for Workforce Education at the college.
Urioste agreed, stressing that while the program is not difficult, it is intense. “Employers need somebody who is willing to work, to push hard, and to be prepared for challenges. That’s what we’re preparing them for.”
In September 2024, the college unveiled a brand-new student center that features a state-of-the-art culinary lab. They gave the student center the name “tulalW,” which means “together” in the Quinault language. While the name tulalW was initially chosen to reflect the gathering spaces in the building, it also invokes the critical role of food in bringing communities together.
For Urioste, that community aspect is significant. Now a resident of Humptulips, she grew up in the Russian countryside. Without the supermarkets that Americans are used to, communities in Russia depended on gardening, farming, foraging, hunting and exchanging goods. People made use of the ingredients outside their windows, and they supported each other, she said.
With that background, Urioste aims to promote Grays Harbor cuisine while emphasizing principles of zero waste and hyper local cooking. To that end, the Grays Harbor program takes a unique approach of farm to table, tide to table and trail to table.
“The Pacific Northwest is a fantastic place to forage almost all year long and not knowing how to use these resources is almost like a crime to me,” Urioste said. “I believe we can find what is so unique about this place and offer it in every restaurant, make it our selling point.”
As a step toward building a more sustainable, local kitchen, Urioste petitioned the college for garden space. This spring, with the help of volunteers from the community, she planted a fledgling garden in a sunny spot right outside the door of the culinary lab. She has also built relationships with farmers in the area who will both supply local ingredients and use the food waste generated in the program.
In addition to the garden, the culinary lab boasts state-of-the-art facilities including a bakery, a large professional kitchen and a cold room for working with meats and other perishables.
The program also has access to a well-equipped pantry in the student center’s event center. From gleaming ovens to countertops built by the college’s carpentry program and hand-selected serving plates, students have the tools they need to prepare them for professional life.
With a sparkling new culinary lab, experienced faculty, a chef’s garden, and a curriculum designed for today’s hospitality needs, the culinary arts program is ready to welcome its first students this fall. Classes start on September 22, and students can enroll up to the first day of classes. For more information, go to the Grays Harbor College website (ghc.edu) and search on “culinary arts.”
Cooking classes for all
While the for-credit culinary program prepares students for the culinary profession, not everyone has a goal of working in a restaurant or catering business. Consequently, last year the college offered several culinary classes through its community education program. These affordable courses bring a wide variety of people together to learn new skills under the tutelage of instructors from the community.
For example, the college offered two series of non-credit culinary classes. The Chefs in the Kitchen series created a culinary journey to celebrate the vibrant flavors and talents in the community and included classes in areas such as wood fired pizza and bread making. A second series explored the intersection of cuisine and culture and included culinary traditions from France, India, Poland and more.
“I love how excited people were and how we were anxious to see each other each week and spend time together,” recalled Candi Bachtell, who organized the program. “There’s something about food and community that just fits together.”
The community education classes include a nominal cost to cover the supplies, teaching and experience, typically ranging from about $50 for a single class to $125 or so for a series, depending on the materials involved. In most cases, students can take either a single class or sign up for the whole series.
Community members interested in signing up for a community education class should send an email to ce@ghc.edu. In addition to cooking classes, the college has offered courses in print making, watercolors, photography and more. Classes will be offered at the Grays Harbor campus in Aberdeen, with new community education centers underway in Raymond and Ilwaco.