Come try out the food at Sussex County Community College's Culinary Institute

NEWTON - Culinary students at Sussex County Community College have reopened the Arbor Bake Shop and Arbor Restaurant on end-of-week days through early March and are taking orders for handmade chocolates for Valentine's Day.

Bakery and restaurant and chocolates pick-up are all located at 47 Main St., next to the Newton Post Office. The chocolates which come in orders of $15 per dozen or $8 per half-dozen, can be picked up between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Feb. 13.

The Bake Shop will be open Fridays from 8:30-10:30 a.m. for pick-ups of orders or drop-ins. The Arbor Restaurant is taking reservations for Thursday dinner - between 5:30-7:30 p.m. - and Friday lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., through March 8.

The meals and serving are done by the students in the college's Baking and Pastry Arts programs which this semester are focusing on French Cuisine. The menu can be viewed online at sussex.edu/community/culinary-institute.

That site also includes listings for workshops conducted for non-students for a fee. The Friday evening workshops run into May and focus on preparing main courses including Irish, Asian and seafood.

The Culinary Institute is overseen by Martin Kester, a graduate of the American Culinary Institute's Poughkeepsie locale, who also has experience working in professional kitchens in the region.

"My parents worked professionally (in the field), so I kinda grew up in this," said Kester, who has been with the SCCC program since 2018, the last few years in the Main Street location, which formerly housed an automobile dealership.

Kestler had more than 20 years of experience in regional restaurants and food-service locations before coming to the local college. His instructional staff also has experience in real restaurants and other food service businesses.

He also noted that teaching was his goal, "even as early as the 'institute./'"

There are three possible degree tracks for students to follow, Culinary; Baking and Pastry and Hotel Restaurant Management. He noted the Culinary track most often follows savory foods.

"We began with two students (in 2018) and now have 30 students among the three programs," he said, and he noted that with the facilities available, "We could double that."

He said there are also two paths for a student to take - a one academic year program leading to a 30 credit certificate and the two-year program leading to an associate's degree.

But Kester also noted that some people go into associated businesses, such as banquet halls, overseeing resort restaurant operations or food service businesses.

"You can do anything with this career path," he said of the breadth of education and training offered. "You can cook for a couple of people, or do a banquet for 200 to 300 people. It's really wide open."

SCCC is one of four community colleges in New Jersey offering culinary classes along with Burlington, Atlantic and Monmouth, while Hudson County Community College offers a program which focuses on running a corporate center, which could include food services.

Among the current students are several who have some experience in the restaurant or fast food industry and even a 69-year-old retired man whom Kestler described as "a life-long learner."

Other faculty members include Dan Kous, and Anthony Mauro who have experience working as professionals in the field.

Kester said that in addition to the bakery and restaurant which have limited days of operation during the school year, the students also cater for charity events, arranged through the school.

This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Sussex County Community College food students open bake shop