San Antonio Top Chef, Chef Brian West, Announces New Culinary Program for Chefs + Foodie Enthusiast Classes
Chef Brian West, a San Antonio top chef, in addition to the culinary apprenticeship program, is also introducing Foodie Enthusiast Classes, one-day courses for the general public designed to expand knowledge and culinary skill.
Chef Brian West is pleased to announce West Point Culinary School, an apprenticeship program where students will learn critical skills related to a career in the culinary industry. Chef Brian West is now accepting applicants for his inaugural program – only five students will be accepted for the hands-on program, which will officially start in late August. Interested applicants can email info@chefbrianwest.com for more information on how to apply before the August 15 deadline.
Chef Brian West – founding chef of Fiesta’s Taste of the Republic event, caterer, restaurant consultant, educator and previously a Senior Instructor at the Culinary Institute of America – will lead the program. Curriculum for the program includes equipment knowledge and measurements, product knowledge, knife skills and cooking fundamentals, as well as culinary theory and gastronomy. Classes will take place over the course of seven weeks and will be followed by eight months of hands-on training in the field. More about the program can be found HERE.
Students will be required to only put down a $500 deposit, which will be refunded to them if they complete the program. Supplies and course materials will be provided to the students at no cost to them. The students will also be compensated for their work in the field during the eight-month training period.
“Attending culinary school is often unattainable and expensive for many people that want to have a career in the food and beverage industry,” said Chef Brian West. “This program provides students with an opportunity to have a hands-on educational experience without going into serious debt. Because of the small class size, I’m also able to provide one-on-one guidance and attention, which can be hard to get in a larger classroom setting.”
The culinary program will offer budding chefs opportunities that will take them beyond working in one restaurant. The mentorship-based program will focus on getting both new and experienced chefs out into their communities and will offer them experience in catering, restaurant consultation, menu creation and more. Chef Brian West aims to create a sense of community and mentorship that continues well beyond a chef’s time in the program, with the goal of providing the students with relationships and resources that they can draw on throughout their career.
For those looking for less of a time commitment, Chef Brian West is also launching Foodie Enthusiast Classes for hobbyists of any skill level. The classes are designed for individuals with a passion for food to enhance their culinary skills and knowledge over the course of one day. For $99 per person, Chef West will provide hands-on experience, combining practical training with kitchen demonstrations. Each class includes experience preparing dishes, kitchen demonstrations, recipes the student can take home with them, provided lunch with beer and wine service. To sign up for one of the Foodie Enthusiast Classes, email info@chefbrianwest.com.
For more information, visit www.chefbrianwest.com and follow Chef West on Facebook and Instagram. Cooking demonstrations from Chef West can also be found on his YouTube channel.
ABOUT CHEF BRIAN WEST
A native Texan, Chef Brian West exploded onto San Antonio’s culinary scene more than a decade ago with his Café Paladar. Since then, he has seen San Antonio emerge as a food lover’s destination and has himself emerged as one of the most influential faces of Texas cuisine. West’s love of mentoring and inspiring new chefs called him to serve as a senior instructor at the Culinary Institute of America and lead the school to multiple victories in competitive BBQ and smoking challenges. In 2015, he was the Texas chef for the Great American Seafood Cookoff. He returned to the Great American Seafood Cookoff in 2016 and 2017 as a national judge. He has also served as the Operational Chef of the Food Network’s hit show “Restaurant Impossible,” and still brags that he once beat the show’s host, Chef Robert Irvine, in a cooking challenge during the Restaurant Impossible live show.
In 2016, recognizing a need for Texas to market its own unique flavors and styles of cooking, he published the Texas Culinary Manifesto. This manifesto gave birth to the popular chef led Fiesta event, Taste of the Republic. Now, Chef West owns and operates Chef Brian West Inc. This restaurant and chef consulting company serves over a dozen restaurants in Central & South Texas. He also co-founded the Texas Culinary Alliance which helps smaller, locally owned restaurants around the state compete with larger operations. In addition to his collaboration with the San Antonio Fiesta commission, Chef West is also the official chef of the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. During the Rodeo, he hosts the Directors Club Restaurant featuring Texas dishes. Chef West can also be seen on “West Wednesdays” segments on San Antonio’s Fox News Daytime @ 9. Chef Brian West currently lives in his hometown of San Antonio Texas with his wife, son and dog.
