On October 28, 2009, Kate Arding led a discussion on her career in the cheese making industry and a tasting of some regional cheeses.  Now an independent dairy consultant specializing in small scale cheese production, Kate has worked in the farmhouse cheese industry for 18 years . She is also a co-founder of Culture, the acclaimed first national consumer cheese magazine launched in December 2008.   A native of Britain, She started her career as wholesale manager for Neal’s Yard Dairy in London, where she developed extensive knowledge – and love – of the farmhouse cheese industry, then  moved to California in 1997, to help establish Cowgirl Creamery and Tomales Bay Foods. Since 2003 Kate has worked as an independent consultant focusing on affinage (refining of a cheese), sales and marketing, and helping small-scale cheese makers adapt to changing market demands.  The event was co-sponsored by The Cheese Club at Cornell and the SHA/CIA Alliance.

Irena Chalmers kicked off a series of discussions on non-traditional food jobs.   Chalmers, author of Food Jobs: 150 Great Jobs for Culinary Students, Career Changers, and Food Lovers, used her book as a foundation to encourage students to think creatively about job opportunities and to widen their professional expectations.   More than 80 students from the School of Hotel Administration and other venues across campus (food science, nutrition, viticulture/enology) gathered to hear Chalmers’s insights on identifying food trends and translating those trends into career paths in the food industry.  Chalmers’ humorous anecdotes and wealth of experience demonstrate that same insights noted in her book – if you have a passion, evne for divergent interests, with a little thought and creativity there are often ways to combine your interests in to a successful career.  An informal reception followed the student discussion highlighting locally grown foods in a presentation from the Cornell Dinner Club.

On September 25^th, 2009, a group of 15 students travelled to Wegman’s, a regional grocery chain, a regional grocery chain, where they talked with CIA ’97 alum and Executive Chef Mike Washburn about his experiences leading up to his current role at Wegman’s Ithaca. The students explored Wegman’s role in the retail food industry, how Wegman’s differentiates themselves from other grocery venues, and about the diversity of skills necessary for advancement.  Operating in a retail venue is very different from traditional foodservice, the margins tend to be even tighter, price sensitivity is higher, and the customer expectation is different. In addition, because most people shop weekly or even more often, keeping menu items fresh and appealing takes continuing ingenuity.  Wegman’s accomplishes this through a variety of means: product specialists that have been around the world learning about their areas, constantly changing merchandising, and offering public education and different meal packaging enhances the customer experience.  Mike noted that in his role he wears many hats – in addition to traditional areas such as menu planning, staffing, and procurement, he is responsible for areas such as liaising with the Executive Chefs at different locations, creating unique offerings and translating them across multiple venues.

October 5^th, 2009, 14 students from the School of Hotel Administration, the Cornell Dinner Club and the Cornell Viticulture and Enology Club explored beverage management with Cheryl Stanley, SHA ’00 and CIA faculty member.  Cheryl shared her background and experiences in beverage management at the Four Seasons in California, including the challenges of pairing a wine to the customer tastes and chosen menu.  She covered the unique challenges of retail sales which she experienced while at The Wine Cask.  Finally, Cheryl gave an in depth perspective of the requirements of becoming a sommelier, describing all the factors that can influence a wine as she shared photographs from her extensive travels.

On February 15, 2011 Katie Brown (Cornell Arts & Sciences ’85), entrepreneur and TV personality, talked about her experiences developing her wildly successful eponymous home arts show on public television and some of the challenging decisions she had to make along the way.  A strong advocate for the liberal arts background that gave her versatility in many arenas, Katie attributes her success path to her college graduation speech given by Frank Rhodes, who encouraged students to be true to themselves and to make a difference in their world.  Recognizing that she was a creative, ambitious person, happier working for herself than others, Katie set about creating a lifestyle that would support her goals.  As an aspiring actor, she waited tables and was fascinated by the flow in the restaurant kitchen. This led her to start catering – first on a small scale, eventually opening her own restaurant “Goat”.  Through these entrepreneurial experiences, Katie described developing an alter-ego of sorts, one that could negotiate a deal, see an opportunity, develop an idea into a full- fledged program, and embody a confidence in her own abilities that has stayed with her through her career.  This public persona has become formalized in the “Katie Brown” brand, a formula she sticks to consistently when developing new ideas.  Yet Katie is still an entrepreneur and it is her ability to adhere to the tenants of her brand while exploring new avenues, such as home goods and increased internet offerings, that has contributed to her overwhelming success.

Katie was a featured speaker in the Conversations with Entrepreneurs series presented by the Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship at Cornell University, streamed live to the Culinary Institute of America through the SHA/CIA Alliance.

Not only is it good for the environment, but it pays to advertise your “green” practices.  In fact it could pay up to 12% more according to “The Dynamics of Green Restaurant Patronage,” by Hsin-Hui “Sunny” Hu, H.G. Parsa, and John Self, a study published in the August 2010 issue of Cornell Hospitality Quarterly (CQ).   Based on the responses of 393 residents of Taiwan, research findings indicate that a substantial percentage of respondents would be willing to pay more for menu items that are produced using sustainable restaurant practices such as recycling and composting, using sustainable food sources, preventing or reducing pollution, increasing energy and water efficiency, and using green building and construction practices.  The researchers found a strong connection between the respondents’ own ecological behavior and their intention to patronize a “green” restaurant. Well over 90 percent of the respondents claimed that they were willing to pay more for a “green” restaurant. One-third said they would pay up to 12 percent more, and just 8 percent said they wouldn’t pay anything extra.

Restaurants can take advantage of this by marketing their sustainability efforts.  The Green Restaurant Association suggests multiple areas where restaurants can have an ecologically or environmentally friendly impact and become certified “green” restaurants.

The full study is available as a featured article from the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly.

Taylor Cocalis 4.29.2010, University Photography Photo By: Lindsay France

On April 29, 2010, Taylor Cocalis, SHA ’05 and former director of education at Murray’s Cheese in NYC,  discussed the relationship between good food and culture, history, psychology and sociology with students and community members at Cornell University. As Taylor shared the unique stories of five great cheeses with her audience, she also shared her passion for education and explored the elaborate intertwining of culture and food.  The origin, growth, production, preparation, and consumption of food is woven into the basic elements of who we are and how we operate as a society.  To further grow the many ways in which people develop relationships with food, Taylor has co-founded “goodfoodjobs.com” a website devoted to bringing together employers and people who love good food and want to explore new food careers.   The event was co-sponsored by The Cheese Club at Cornell and the SHA/CIA Alliance.

Jenny Harris, A&S ’00, Executive chef of Tria, a wine cheese and beer café in Philadelphia, PA, spoke at Cornell April 7, 2010.  Jenny tested her love for the culinary arts through on the job experiences and became an avid reader, soaking up college texts on the culinary arts, cheese making and business management to perfect her skills.  Even as a romance studies major at Cornell University, Jenny knew she was destined to work with food.  She pursued her passion at restaurants like the famous vegetarian Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, New York and the White Dog Café, in Philadelphia, PA, a restaurant known for its social conscience.  Now, as Executive Chef at Tria, Jenny is passing on her knowledge to others.  The event was co-sponsored by the Cheese club at Cornell and the SHA/CIA Alliance.

Jenny and Tria were highlighted in the Summer 09 issue of Culture.

Jenny  Harris will discuss her career path from aspiring engineer at Cornell University to cheese aficionado.  She has worked at such well known restaurants as  Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, NY and the White Dog Café in Philadelphia, PA and is now the Executive Chef at Tria in Philadelphia, a wine, cheese, and beer café.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

204 Stocking Hall

5:15 PM

Read more about Jenny and Tria at:

http://www.calkinscreamery.com/uploads/culture_magazine.pdf