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SUN VALLEY CULINARY INSTITUTE IS READY TO SERVE
PHOTO BY TED DANIEL
Elevating culinary education and cuisine in Idaho
By Sabina Dana Plasse
Nestled in south-central Idaho’s Wood River Valley on Ketchum’s Main Street, the Sun Valley Culinary Institute (SVCI) has become a catalyst for changing the lives of culinary students as future food service leaders while connecting the community through food and a love of cooking. Since September 2021, SVCI students have been serving the needs of area food service establishments while earning their way to completing a U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship Certificate.
For students embarking on a career in the culinary arts, SVCI’s One-Year Professional Program is a portal to a future as a culinary arts professional while serving a purpose for needed vocational support to Idaho’s diverse hospitality industries, especially in the Wood River Valley. SVCI additionally offers a space for the public to enjoy sold-out classes and events with visiting James Beard Award-winning, celebrity, and nationally-celebrated chefs, along with notable cookbook authors from the Northwest and around the country, providing an inviting and unforgettable metropolitan elevated food experience.
Utilizing local and regional foods from known chefs and respected purveyors within the region offers students and patrons an unparalleled food education and experience from farm to class and table while supporting growers, farmers, and suppliers. SVCI is taking the lead as a successful education and business model in Idaho, attracting and developing workforce talent while creating and offering new dining and entertainment options.
“Sun Valley Culinary Institute students want to share their experience with the world,” said SVCI Executive Director Karl Uri. “As a world-class resort destination in Sun Valley, our students develop unique and strong foundational skills honed through real-world experiences. They are engaged in a one-year education learning about food and food industry sustainability that is directly tied to Idaho.”
SVCI is a culinary classroom where James Beard Society chefs, food pioneers, and food industry entrepreneurs from around the country come to break bread with Wood River Valley residents, visitors, and guests all year round. Many previous and present students consider and dream of running their own restaurant in the valley. With dedicated and highly experienced knowledgeable chef instructors, SVCI students can achieve their potential.
“The Sun Valley Culinary Institute is where students work to learn and learn to work,” said Mason Family Restaurants founder and owner Scott Mason, who works with SVCI for student externships. Throughout the year, SVCI has classes, dinners, and fundraising events that support the school and its mission to educate students, create new career paths, and help sustain the Wood River Valley’s restaurant and hospitality community. The second annual Sun Valley Food & Wine Celebration will take place March 13-16, 2024, with community and donor events featuring accomplished and notable celebrity and celebrated James Beard Award-winning chefs from across the country with après ski events, a gala dinner at Sun Valley’s Trail Creek Cabin, wine tastings, and more. It’s one of the most unique events in Sun Valley, Idaho, where food lovers and supporters gather in an intimate environment with chefs, students, SVCI staff, and board members while enjoying the best of Sun Valley’s winter wonderland.
“Connecting to supporters while celebrating food and the community allows us to accomplish our goals to educate culinarians, assisting the valley’s workforce, and offering a unique space everyone can enjoy, from cooking classes and dinners to events and parties,” said Uri. “Join us and become part of a new cuisine and culinary education era in Sun Valley, Idaho.”
