Hi, I’m Chef Brian Hay, Director of Culinary Education
at one of the most innovative and exciting programs in the country.
Welcome to our incredible facilities on the Bronson Healthy Living Campus at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.
Located in the heart of an emerging medical corridor in downtown Kalamazoo
and also adjacent to Bronson Hospital and Western Michigan University’s Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine,
our campus includes a Culinary and Allied Health Building and a Food Innovation Center,
home to our indoor and outdoor urban farm which provides
us many of the ingredients we use every day.
Our state-of-the art facilities includes culinary and baking labs;
a teaching brewery, tons of classroom space and a student operated café and fine dining restaurant.
I was very happy when KVCC Culinary Program opened in the area.
It is very convenient and accessible and when I started the classes, I found the chefs and instructors very friendly and very positive.
Students in our program work and learn in facilities unlike any other.
They learn about the important connection between healthy eating and good health.
And our vision helps students to understand farm to table concepts; master American Culinary Federation Competencies;
and gain hands-on opportunities in urban farm setting held right here on this campus.
Students should come to Kalamazoo Valley Community College because of the faculty/student interaction.
As a chef instructor here, we are totally spoiled with this building.
We have great equipment. They will be prepared to work on any piece of equipment, once they do get out into the field.
Here in the student-run Café, we offer quick service meals to students, staff and the general public.
Breakfast and lunch are served with an emphasis on healthy local options and also includes a student-selected theme of the day.
Sustainability at the Kalamazoo Valley Community College means complete utilization of the animal.
Or complete utilization of the vegetable from root to stem or from nose to tail.
Operated by our senior students, our three course dinners at the 418 restaurant allow students to showcase their skills in both front and back of the house,
emphasizing a higher level of service and cuisine.
They act as operational managers and are responsible for all aspects of restaurant service management. Reservations are highly recommended.
I believe it's very important for the students to get real life experience serving the general public.
The culinary labs at Kalamazoo Valley offer students a great deal of room to work with this new state of the art equipment.
Instructors in these labs are able to show cutting edge technology while teaching the core culinary fundamentals.
One of the most impressive kitchens that we have in the facility is our baking lab.
The thick butcher block tables allow students to hone their pastry skills.
These are supported by multiple mixers and baking ovens that help train future chefs on a variety of equipment used in the workplace.
Also on our second floor, we have a custom designed brewing system that was made in Germany
to allow our students to train on identical systems found in the industry.
The teaching brewery includes multiple fermenters and a quality control lab to train our students in the art of brewing sciences.
This is the Kalamazoo Valley Culinary Arts Program
And we are the future of sustainability.
