ST. ALBERT- A new program at a St. Albert High School is taking Food Studies to a whole new level.
Wednesday night, 15 students from Bellerose Composite High School prepared a gourmet three course dinner for over 100 people.
“We are starting with a yam fried poutine and then we have a braised red cabbage, as well as a duck confit and parsnip chips with our bacon salt,” explained 17-year-old Cassidy Wilson. “And then the double-double donut bread pudding with maple bacon ice cream.”
“So, bacon, bacon, bacon,” Wilson added with a laugh.
The dinner is all part of the school’s new course called Food & Business.
The program offers students the opportunity to essentially run their own business. Students gather twice a week to not only learn how to prepare and cook meals but, to learn the business side of running a small restaurant.
“It’s a lot of work. We run a small business and anyone who runs a small food business will tell you it’s a fair amount of work,” explained teacher Jason Dabbagh. “These kids are dedicated.”
“I loved cooking, but it has also shown me that this is a lot of work. We have this business and we’re in here for 12 hours a day cooking and it just kind of opens my eyes to how much everyone else is doing when they own their own restaurant,” said Wilson. “When you actually start thinking about how much we do- the spreadsheets and the budgeting and the purchasing- in high school? I never thought that was possible, but we’ve got a good team and it’s all coming together.”
Not only have students invested their time, they’ve invested their money, as well. Each student has invested $75 of their own money in the business, “Bellerose Business Venture.” All of the equipment and food was purchased with the students’ money. Every few months students sell tickets to a dinner, which they prepare and cook in their classroom, and keep the profits. Wednesday’s dinner brought in a total of $2,600.
“We’re in the hole right now,” explained Dabbagh. “Every month we just climb a little bit out, so they’re learning about budgeting and expenses and just kind of being lean and trying to operate and make a profit.”
The students have been on tours of many local restaurants to see first-hand how a small business runs. Dabbagh says the program offers students the opportunity to learn many much-needed skills they’ll use in the future.
“They’re becoming a lot more business savvy, right? They’re learning about the industry. They’re learning about cost management, how to price out a menu, what expenses are involved in a restaurant.”
But for Dabbagh, the program is not just about business. He has a passion for cooking and hopes he can pass that along to his students.
“My goal with them is, I just want them to be great home cooks. I want them to love hosting dinner. I want them to love entertaining. I want them to love cooking for people. Cooking is a means of, I think, of building community, so having people around your table in your home,” said Dabbagh. “Knowing someone took the time and effort to make you a fantastic meal, that’s what I want to instill with these kids.”
So far, Dabbagh’s goal appears to be working.
“Seeing the joy on other people’s faces when you bring them a meal that they know you cooked for them, you put the time and effort in for them, that’s really cool,” said Wilson.
Wilson says none of this would have been possible without Dabbagh’s great leadership.
“He’s putting in so much time, so much effort. He’s always on top of everything. We wouldn’t be able to do it without him. He’s unreal.”
With files from Laurel Clark.
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