Indigenous 
SLC’s first-year Culinary Skills and Culinary Management students were busy preparing gourmet meals for Martha’s Table, a community center within the social welfare network of the City of Kingston which provides nutritious meals and snacks for over 275 vulnerable persons daily.
The students provided 75 gourmet meals last week, according to Chef Richard Hendy, co-coordinator of Culinary programs at SLC. Hendy worked with chef professors, Gary Appleton, Crystal Plant, and co-coordinator, Leslie Leacy, to put this important initiative together.
"Normally we would have the students cook large quantity cooking for sale at the College through Essence-to-Go, but due to COVID, we wanted to assist Martha’s Table during this time and give them one day of not worrying about preparing meals for their clients," Hendy said. "We hope to incorporate event cooking in our curriculum post-pandemic and continue helping our local community."
"I'm extremely proud to prepare dishes for our vulnerable community as a first-year Culinary Management student and working at Martha's Table has shown me how important it is to support local organizations," said student Sara Northcott. "Every patron that visits Martha's Table is deeply appreciative and being a part of helping and supporting those people is incredibly rewarding."
The individually packaged meals include:
- Marinated Roast Rib of Beef
- Sauce Demi-Glace and Horseradish Sauce
- Marinated Roast Loin of Pork
- Sauce Demi-Glace and House-made Apple Sauce
- Yorkshire Pudding
- Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Root Vegetables
- Sticky Toffee Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce
- Cheddar and Chive Biscuits
- Two kinds of soup - Cream of Potato and Leek and Roasted Red Pepper
"I'd like to thank SLC, the Culinary students, and professors for their efforts and time taken to prepare and donate a beautiful meal for people in the City of Kingston," said Ronda Candy, Executive Director of Martha’s Table. "This support is much appreciated; the number of people that we serve each day has doubled in the last few months and this helps offset our budget as well as providing a tasty and nutritious meal for those struggling to make ends meet in our community. On behalf of the guests we serve -- thank you!"
"I’m so proud of our students and faculty, who have responded to a critical need in our community," said Glenn Vollebregt, SLC President and CEO. "During a difficult time for so many people, it is the partnerships and community spirit of helping others that will help folks get through, and for our students to be involved in such a meaningful way is a value they’ll take with them throughout their lives and careers."
To learn about volunteer opportunities and to donate to Martha’s Table visit marthastable.ca.
Pictured left to right: Chef Professor Gary Appleton, Sara Northcott, Cheryl Hanna, Simranjit Kaur, Peyton Sousa