• Cook alongside professional chefs in a modern commercial kitchen, exploring world cuisines and culinary management

• Express creativity by designing menus, preparing meals, and offering unique dining experiences

• Collaborate to deliver high quality customer service while catering special events at Salt & Pepper, LCTI’s restaurant

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Any classically trained chef will tell you that the best meals begin with good stock. Our Culinary Arts program is the perfect stock for students looking to cook up rewarding careers in the hospitality industry. While staffing LCTI’s restaurant and cafeterias, they’ll master the following skills:

• Prepare proteins, fruits and vegetables, cereals and grains, beverages, etc.
• Develop and execute menus for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, receptions, etc.
• Use and maintain industry-standard kitchen equipment, such as ranges, ovens, slicers, mixers, etc.
• Price menu items based on production cost calculations; manage inventory
• Maintain sanitary and safe food production facilities in keeping with government requirements

Working as an instructor-led team, students sharpen their culinary skills by catering buffets and multiple-course meals in The Restaurant at LCTI, which seats 80. They also prepare dishes served daily in the school’s two student cafeterias, as well as take-home meals sold during fundraisers.

Students polish their customer service skills by acting as hosts, servers, bussers and cashiers in the restaurant, which routinely hosts special events and is open to the public on select days. Nutrition, food allergies and culinary sustainability are important elements of the program, too.

Our Culinary Arts program is accredited by the following organization:

American Culinary Federation Education Foundation

Industry Credentials

Culinary Arts students can earn the following certifications and credentials in high school:

• Certified Junior Culinarian via American Culinary Federation
• ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification
• S/P2 Culinary Certificate
• First Aid Certification via American Red Cross
• Pennsylvania Skills Certificate via NOCTI®

College Credits

The following schools have articulation agreements with LCTI that allow Culinary Arts students to earn college credit for work they complete in high school:

• Lehigh Carbon Community College
• Johnson & Wales University
• The Culinary Institute of America

Career Pathways

with credentials:

• Food Batchmaker
• Line Cook
• Prep Cook

with associate degree:

• Executive Chef
• Food Science Technician
• Restaurateur

with bachelor’s degree:

• Food Scientist
• Nutritionist
• Registered Dietician