RCC debuts all-new Baking and Pastry Fundamentals program

Making use of the brand-new space at the Glenns Campus for her Culinary Arts program has not been a problem for Chef Hatley Bright. In her state-of-the-art lab, she is able to run many classes and focus on many different levels of preparation and food fundamentals.

But now Chef Bright is happy to add a new program to her kitchen at the Glenns Campus, this one, by popular demand.

“We are really excited to offer a brand-new certificate in Baking and Pastry Fundamentals,” says Professor Bright.

“This is an introduction to some of the finer cakes and pastries. We’ll be doing European tortes and cakes. We’ll be doing artisanal breads, and we’ll be offering a class in custards and cremes. A lot of what we learn will apply to other classes that we have available.”

The certificate actually has 16 credits, which will include earning an industry credential for sanitary food service, which is now a requirement for many who work in the foodservice industry in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The creation of this program, says Chef Bright, was thanks to feedback from industry partners, who are looking for a new skill set in the kitchen.

“There’s a lot of very, very good pre-made product out there but having something made from scratch that you make and eat the same day even, really has a different feel and a different touch to it,” says Bright.

Perhaps the most exciting part of the new certificate for Chef Bright will be the introduction of some new faculty into her program, who are certified pastry chefs. They will play a significant role in the classes as well.

“This is what they’ve done, this is what they’ve gone to school for, and this is the industry they’ve worked in,” says Bright. “They have a true feel for what the industry wants and needs.”

Classes are now enrolling for the Fall 2018 semester at Rappahannock Community College — everything starts on August 27.

“Come to RCC,” says Bright. “We have the A-Z for the culinary field.”