Gravenhurst High School students are literally cooking with gas and couldn’t be happier about it.
The teaching kitchens at Gravenhurst High School have received a major upgrade thanks to a $300,000* investment from the Trillium Lakeland District School Board.
For Director of Education Larry Hope, it is an investment in the future of the students, giving them a first-hand teaching environment.
“This is one of the projects we sought to undertake that would give our kids a real-life experience,” said Hope. “It’s where they have an opportunity to cook with gas, where they have the opportunity to experience the utensils of a commercial kitchen.”
Members of the board and officials from the school showcased the commercial grade facility that replaced the previous kitchens that used only electric stoves to get cooking and baking taught to the students.
The introduction of gas appliances is a major improvement and allows students to understand how commercial kitchens work and prepare them for that world through the school’s Hospitality and Tourism course.
“The open concept is really nice,” said student Megan McFarlane, who has been using the kitchen for about two weeks now. “I think this kitchen resembles what it would be like in an industrial kitchen which is really nice.”
Student Ashton Fulton agrees the upgrades will make a huge difference in learning about the hospitality and tourism industry.
“There are gas stoves instead of electric, and a bunch more working spaces,” he offers. “There is a lot more opportunities to bake stuff and do more things in this kitchen compared to the last one.”
*This number was clarified and revised from an earlier figure provided by the TLDSB