Boulder, Colorado’s Vegan Fusion Culinary Academy, which just opened in March, is making waves as one the first schools of its kind in the country. Their Aspiring Chef program is now approved and regulated by the Colorado Department of Higher Education’s Private Occupational School Board. Graduates of this four-month, in-person professional chef training program will receive a Diploma of Vegan Culinary Arts. In addition, the academy is launching its summer Home Cook classes in June.
“The demand for plant-based food is growing exponentially – the number of vegans in the U.S. grew 600 percent between 2014 and 2018,” said Vegan Fusion School Director and Chef Instructor Chef Mark Reinfeld. “We’re focused on training the next generation of plant-based chefs and innovators to meet that demand.” Additionally, “during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, more vegan restaurants opened than have closed” according to data released by Happy Cow, an online vegan restaurant resource.
Vegan Fusion is one of the first in the country dedicated to cutting-edge vegan cuisine. The brand new, state-of-the-art facility offers both professional and home cook programs, all under the direction of Chef Mark Reinfeld, a pioneer in the plant-based movement, award-winning chef and inductee into the Vegetarian Hall of Fame. He has written eight acclaimed cookbooks and won nine national awards, including “Best Vegetarian Cookbook in the U.S.”
Professional diploma program: The Aspiring Chef Program offers a one-of-a-kind blend of classroom time, culinary skills, business insights, integration of food as medicine and vegan philosophy. This intensive hands-on program provides classic and innovative culinary techniques that can open the door to a career as a vegan restaurant chef, caterer, personal chef, consultant, culinary instructor, cookbook author and more. Meanwhile, business insights teaches students the fundamentals of running a culinary business. Students also benefit from hearing first-hand from successful vegan business owners in many culinary related fields. With the “food as medicine” program, students participate in lectures and discussions focused on topics related to nutrition and a healthy diet. The academy just opened its doors in March and is now accepting applications for the Aspiring Chef Program, which begins on August 16.
Home cook classes: From five-day immersions to three-day weekend workshops and evening classes, Vegan Fusion’s Passionate Home Cook classes are designed to increase creativity and confidence in the kitchen. They allow students to explore the essentials of plant-based cuisine and give them the knowledge and inspiration to create delicious meals. Through these hands-on experiences, students learn how to prepare everything from incredible vegan comfort foods to elevated mainstream and raw cuisine. They are currently accepting registrants for summer classes which include “Intro to Plant-based Cuisine,” and “World Fusion” five-day immersions and “Intro to Plant-based Cuisine” and “Vegan Desserts” weekend workshops.