JACKSON WYO. —When Henry Cittone ran a culinary arts program for a small school in Texas, he was inundated with requests from chefs in this city’s resort community who were looking for student interns.
“I would send letters out to Jackson saying we need our students to learn French cuisine, and the chefs would want all of our students,” he said. —When Henry Cittone ran a culinary arts program for a small school in Texas, he was inundated with requests from chefs in this city’s resort community who were looking for student interns.
So Cittone, whose 40-year career includes 18 years of international food and beverage management experience, understood the need when he was asked to develop a culinary program in Jackson at Central Wyoming College. The only other accredited culinary arts program in the state is in Laramie, Cittone said. —When Henry Cittone ran a culinary arts program for a small school in Texas, he was inundated with requests from chefs in this city’s resort community who were looking for student interns.
Jackson is the county seat of Teton County in southwest Wyoming in a 50-mile-long valley known as Jackson Hole. Surrounded by high mountains, the region has two strong tourist seasons in the winter and summer. The ski resort area in Teton Village alone has five first-class hotels, including the Four Seasons. But while Jackson Hole may attract one million visitors a year, the town’s population is only about 8,600. —When Henry Cittone ran a culinary arts program for a small school in Texas, he was inundated with requests from chefs in this city’s resort community who were looking for student interns.
Cittone, who is originally from Istanbul, Turkey, had moved to Jackson and was semiretired when the former general manager at the Four Seasons asked him to write a curriculum for a one-year certificate program that students would be able to apply toward an associate’s degree in culinary arts. Classes began this year with 14 students. —When Henry Cittone ran a culinary arts program for a small school in Texas, he was inundated with requests from chefs in this city’s resort community who were looking for student interns.
Central Wyoming College opened a new arts center last year with additional classroom space, but for the cooking and application classes, Cittone looked to the Four Seasons with its large, state-of-the-art kitchens. —When Henry Cittone ran a culinary arts program for a small school in Texas, he was inundated with requests from chefs in this city’s resort community who were looking for student interns.
The Four Seasons’ executive chef Simon Purvis is teaching the lab courses, beginning with stocks, sauces and soups. —When Henry Cittone ran a culinary arts program for a small school in Texas, he was inundated with requests from chefs in this city’s resort community who were looking for student interns.
“There is a need for a program like this in the community, with the ongoing staffing challenges the industry faces in Jackson,” said the British-born Purvis, who has spent more than half of his 20-year culinary career with the Four Seasons in such places as Vancouver, British Columbia; Berlin; Melbourne, Australia; and Singapore. He was executive chef at the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale in Arizona before coming to Jackson last year. —When Henry Cittone ran a culinary arts program for a small school in Texas, he was inundated with requests from chefs in this city’s resort community who were looking for student interns.
Bringing young adults into the Four Seasons for classes may help generate more awareness about culinary careers in the community, Purvis said. —When Henry Cittone ran a culinary arts program for a small school in Texas, he was inundated with requests from chefs in this city’s resort community who were looking for student interns.
“Even in big cities, hiring staff with a passion and a skill is a challenge,” he said. —When Henry Cittone ran a culinary arts program for a small school in Texas, he was inundated with requests from chefs in this city’s resort community who were looking for student interns.
Other hotels in the area also have expressed interest in hiring the fledgling program’s students for internships, said Cittone, who is teaching the lecture courses, dining room management, and food and beverage operations. The county’s health inspector is teaching the food safety course. —When Henry Cittone ran a culinary arts program for a small school in Texas, he was inundated with requests from chefs in this city’s resort community who were looking for student interns.
With all of its hotels and experienced, classically trained chefs, the Jackson Hole area is an excellent place for students to learn the craft, Cittone said. —When Henry Cittone ran a culinary arts program for a small school in Texas, he was inundated with requests from chefs in this city’s resort community who were looking for student interns.
“This is a gold mine,” he said. “The majority of chefs here are culinary institute grads—CIA [Culinary Institute of America], Johnson & Wales, NECI [New England Culinary Institute]—and they are certified by the American Culinary Federation. The ACF even has a chapter here.” —When Henry Cittone ran a culinary arts program for a small school in Texas, he was inundated with requests from chefs in this city’s resort community who were looking for student interns.
With the first class underway, Cittone is optimistic the program will grow with the help of more restaurants and chefs in the community. Eventually the college expects to build its own kitchen classrooms. A strong program would help keep high school graduates in Jackson, he said. —When Henry Cittone ran a culinary arts program for a small school in Texas, he was inundated with requests from chefs in this city’s resort community who were looking for student interns.
“Many graduates who want to learn will go all the way to Houston, New York, Arizona or Denver and pay $40,000 to $50,000,” Cittone said. “Here we have a community college that offers the same quality program, and they don’t need to pay more than $10,000. That makes a difference.” —When Henry Cittone ran a culinary arts program for a small school in Texas, he was inundated with requests from chefs in this city’s resort community who were looking for student interns.