Community Culinary School of Charlotte teaches way more than just cooking
Who: Chef Ron Ahlert grew up in New York City, went to the New York Restaurant School and came to Charlotte 22 years ago. “I didn’t know chicken noodle soup had chicken in it until my two older brothers left for college,” he says, but his interest in cooking came from his mother and he was exposed to all of the things that NYC restaurants have to offer. He was hired as a chef instructor for the Community Culinary School of Charlotte and eventually replaced founder Linda Vogler as executive director of the school.
He joined The Good News Is … podcast this week to talk about the school and Charlotte’s culinary scene.
Oh, and he brought treats. They were delicious.
What: Community Culinary School of Charlotte is a nonprofit culinary training program that provides workforce training and job placement for adults facing barriers to longterm employment. It grew out of the Friendship Trays 18 years ago and now has a catering business and cafe open to the public at 9315-D Monroe Road, Charlotte. About 850 people have graduated from the program and become a part of Charlotte’s culinary scene, Ahlert said.
That’s what he said: “Yes we teach cooking, but we’re more into the legacy recreation industry than we are into the cooking industry. We teach cooking so these folks can go out and recreate their legacy, take a look at the future and realize they want to see it a little differently, preferably better.”
The Good News Is — presented by The Charlotte Observer and powered by OrthoCarolina — is a weekly podcast with a similar mission to what we do here at C5: To get you CharlotteSmart, fast with fun, interesting and useful news about the city. It’s hosted by Corey Inscoe and Sarah Crosland.
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This story was originally published July 5, 2016 at 10:02 PM with the headline "Community Culinary School of Charlotte teaches way more than just cooking."