PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Philadelphia School District’s 12 schools providing student culinary programs will be able to continue their curriculum this year after having trouble acquiring the basic pantry items they needed, thanks to the generosity of a local restaurateur.
It’s hard to teach students to cook when you don’t have food.
“Literally the only thing that we had was flour, butter, and eggs. I mean, we could make bread, we could make pasta, But there wasn’t a lot of variety," said Swenson Arts and Technology High School Principal Judy Haughton.
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She said this was a difficult year for their career and technical education culinary programs.
“Everywhere you go, things are just that much more expensive, and so these are difficult to fund," said Haughton.
"If food becomes expensive, the supplies become expensive, and then it’s not just that, it’s 'Where are the supplies?'“
How did the program get funded at Swenson, in Northeast Philadelphia?
"I spent a lot of my personal money," culinary arts instructor Patrick Perti said at first.
"Going to Produce Junction and getting a lot of supplies on my own, and bring [them] back to the classroom."
Avram Hornik, the owner of FCM Hospitality which owns Craft Hall, Harper's Garden, and Morgan's Pier, heard they needed help. He provided a $50,000 stipend for district culinary instructors to use his vendors.
Hornik, whose own children attend Philadelphia School District schools, said it was an easy way to create a lot of opportunities for kids.
"The program is here, the chefs are here, the students are here. All they were missing was the food element," Hornik said.
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“We arranged with our suppliers to allow the chefs who run the program to order food that they need, and then the food gets delivered directly to the schools and then we just pay the invoices for them.”
“There’s a big difference because we have so much food to make new things and experiment," said Marissa Weisbrod, an 11th grader.
"I go in the refrigerator and see all the food there," said fellow 11th grader Connor Bennett, "and I think it looks good, and I can’t wait to make more food.“
