In the world of Restaurant Management and Culinary Arts, Fairfield High School students take huge strides in gaining experience for future careers. The Long Handle Spoon Cafe, a project headed by Mrs. Laura Craddick, Family and Consumer Sciences teacher, aims to provide the real-life experiences in the industry by allowing students to prepare, market, sell, and serve meals.
The next Long Handle Spoon Cafe will be held on November 16. The menu includes toasted crostini, hand battered chicken strips, cauliflower casserole, sautéed green beans, and apple cranberry turnovers.
“Our students are always excited about this opportunity and look forward to learning hands-on customer service skills and exciting new culinary techniques.” Craddick says.
Established in 2011, this student-run restaurant provides inexpensive lunch options for the faculty at Fairfield High, while also providing a fine-dining experience.
“This cafe would provide lunch at a reasonable price for teachers once a month that was equivalent to a meal one would purchase at an upscale restaurant,” Craddick says. “Students would develop the menus, prepare the meals, advertise, and serve.”
Because of the changes in FCS classes, there are new opportunities for advancement in multiple fields, such as careers in Hospitality and Tourism and also jobs pertaining to the Floral and Horticulture Department.
“We discussed how this change was a positive one and that it would open up a mountain of opportunities for our students,” Craddick says.
“Students learned that the Hospitality and Tourism industry provides roughly 18 million jobs and is the second largest employer in the U.S.”
Because of the many rules and regulations associated with Restaurant Management and Culinary Arts, all participating students were required to pass a restaurant and service certification test produced by the Texas Department of Health and Safety. The test is offered online through 먹튀사이트 and required by most food service businesses including restaurants, catering facilities, delis, bakeries, and food trucks in order to work in the kitchen.
“Tests were paid for by the students, myself, fundraisers through our Long Handle Spoon Cafe and class budgets,” Craddick says. “Several of the students work in the food industry already and have put their new certification to use in the business they are employed with.”
Students are responsible for almost all the work that goes into preparing the meals. The FCS teachers help provide guidance, but the rest is up to them.
“It’s stressful at points, but also really fun,” junior Kaitlyn Neidich says. “You get to experience things actual chefs do on a daily basis.”
Eventually, The Long Handle Spoon Cafe will expand its reach at Fairfield High and also in the community.
“As the year progresses and new techniques and skills are expanded on we will open our program up to the community in at least one community wide meal event,” Craddick says. “The classes expect to cater several UIL events and Holiday in the Halls as well this year.”
FHS STUDENTS PASSING the restaurant services test: Angeles Munoz, Oscar Posada, Madison McQueen, Natalie Thompson, Tina Vardeman, Ella Boyington, Jalon Thomas, and Jasmine Gomez. Not pictured is Briseyeda Munoz.
Additional FHS STUDENTS PASSING the restaurant services test: Ashley Hernandez, Brittany Bartlett, Christina Ferguson, Kaitlynn Neidich, Matilda Ohvo, Lawren Sledge, Doinesha Green, and Brittany McNett. (Photos submitted)
