| Anatomy of a day at NWCAV |
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A typical day at NWCAV is quite unique. We get more done, more intensely, practically, and efficiently than other schools. Below is a snapshot of our culinary class; however, if you are in Vancouver, we highly suggest you spend a few hours with us in our kitchens to see first hand what we are all about.
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Classes start at 8:30am sharp (9:00am for Pastry). We highly encourage our students to arrive at the school at 8:00am to prepare for their day. Solid mental and physical preparation habits are stressed throughout the course and vital in the industry. |
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We gather in the common kitchen area, an all-in-one classroom/demo/eating area open to the rest of the work kitchen. This specifically designed theatre allows its teachers and students to exercise vital performance skills at very high levels. |
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We discuss the day’s game plan focusing on specific techniques inherent in specific recipes and dishes. We commence with precise demonstration and/or concise theory - concise because students are given the same notes that the instructors carry in their binder.
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Students are teamed in pairs (teams change every week) and create their own game plan before moving into the kitchen; this promotes clear communication, organization, time-management, accountability, and solidifies understanding of the demo’s key points – all, again, vital skills demanded by the industry. |
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Students work in an island-configured kitchen, never facing a wall, maintaining clear lines of communication between instructors and students, facilitating movement, flow, and evaluation. |
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Guidelines, timelines and often deadlines are given to further promote an understanding and respect for the importance of quality communication, organization, game planning, time-management, choreography, skill development, etc.. These are the “reality” skills that are demanded in our industry. |
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Students bring their executed dishes to the common dining table where the food is critiqued, tasted, and improvements discussed. |
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Then the next technique/dish is demonstrated and theorized, executed, and eaten. This sort of rhythm proceeds throughout the day, sometimes 3-4 more times, and this integration of theory, demo and kitchen-work allows us to cover more material on a hands-on basis. More importantly, it simulates and acclimates the student to the pace, intensity, and expectations of the real industry kitchen. Other “reality advantages” our teaching/learning style gives our students:
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It exposes your strengths and, more importantly, the key skills and attributes that need focus, nurturing, and development.
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Each student will process whole fish at least 10 times, whole poultry at least 10 times, key stocks and sauces numerous times, hand-coordination skills such as fresh pasta/gnocchi/breads several times; these are key hand skills that build confidence to enter the industry confidently and accelerate to higher levels.
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Our curriculum covers cuisines other than the French Classics. Students are exposed to many quality ingredients and preparations. Our food cost, included in the tuition, far exceeds that of most culinary schools.
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Opportunities to express your creative palate. This occurs mostly in the second half of the course when basics are better honed. Menu development projects, food costing projects, and final practical exams (one includes a 4-day menu created and served to a public of student friends and family, graduates, and industry chefs) all focus on the student’s opportunity to synthesize learned fundamentals with creativity and research.
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All students experience a personal growth during their education. You soon realize that to become the successful chef you envision will require a movement towards becoming a more complete person. Professional and personal development, especially in this field, go hand-in-hand.
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