Aside from restaurants that were forced to close down, culinary schools—like all other educational institutions—have also been greatly affected by the pandemic.
One of those who have adjusted with grace is the Center for Culinary Arts Manila (CCA Manila).
CCA is already an icon in culinary education. True to its reputation of being a pioneer, it has ventured into a partnership with Rouxbe, one of the world’s top online culinary schools, in response to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rouxbe (pronounced ‘ruby’) is an online platform meant to capture the curriculum of a professional culinary school by using high-definition videos to provide education to at-home chefs, professional chefs, schools, hotels and food establishments, or essentially anyone who is serious about learning to cook or cook better.
“We have been teaching foundational culinary techniques online since 2005, and know that a great education is possible. We are here to help and support our learners in a positive and constructive way,” Ken Rubin, Rouxbe chief culinary officer, shares. They are also guided by veteran chefs.
Ken Rubin, chief culinary officer, Rouxbe —CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
But as opposed to just watching something on YouTube, at Rouxbe, students receive feedback and are able to track learning progress in real-time through a detailed dashboard.
Hence, CCA Manila has partnered with Rouxbe to continue to develop world-class chefs and restaurateurs in spite of the new education landscape brought about by the pandemic.
This method of instruction works for the objectives of CCA Manila, especially at this time when platforms for instruction are all shifting to virtual.
“Even though the pandemic disrupted the traditional learning in the kitchen, it doesn’t prevent us from bringing learning right to your kitchens. With CCA Manila’s time-tested curriculum, added with fresh insights from Rouxbe’s effective online learning, this program would be the most innovative of its kind in the industry right now,” explains Badjie Trinidad, owner and CEO of CCA Manila.
“CCA Manila is continuously on the lookout for innovations and partnerships that can help Filipino students become the world-class chefs that they dream to be. The Rouxbe partnership only underscores that we continue to provide relevant, effective, and innovative education to our students,” Trinidad says.
This is a way for aspiring culinary chefs to continue pursuing their dreams, in spite of pandemic limitations.
“The partnership will allow more people to access instruction—safely, affordably and with the intention of building foundational cooking techniques,” Rubin adds.
Note that “roux” means “a transformative mixture used in classic cooking to turn liquid into a soup or sauce” while “be” means “to live or exist.”
So in the spirit of roux, as the world transforms, so should we.
To aspiring chefs: Don’t let COVID-19 stop you. Do the roux and masterfully transform—with the guidance of CCA Manila.
For inquiries, call 0917-8408400 or visit www.cca-manila.edu.ph or email talktous@cca-manila.edu.ph. Application is ongoing.
More from the author at margauxsalcedo.com. Follow @margauxsalcedo on Instagram.