First of its kind, Montessori-inspired cooking Academy for kids and teens aims to create a more educated, able and healthy society through responsible eating choices.
Vancouver is home to the flagship location of Little Kitchen Academy (LKA), the first of its kind Montessori-inspired cooking academy for kids ages three through teen. Starting June 24, 2019, children will be able to experience a unique way to learn through creative, mindful interactive teaching that will create a foundation for a healthy life – from scratch to consumption.
The flagship location, located at 3744 West 10th Avenue, will feature ten cooking stations complete with oven, cooktop, and individual equipment, and a live Food Wall. Classes run for three hours and host ten students per class. As soon as kids enter the environment the learning will begin. Each child will don a chef coat and be fitted in Birkenstock kitchen shoes, one of LKA’s leading culinary partners, to begin their personalized cooking class that will have them experimenting with math and science concepts, reading skills, as well as table manners by sharing meals around LKA’s communal table made from over 33,000 recycled chopsticks, and sitting in chairs made from recycled plastic bottles.
Little Kitchen Academy writes the next chapter of business for Co-Founder, CEO Brian Curin, having built and grown several well-known concepts, from Cold Stone Creamery, Moe’s Southwest Grill and most recently Flip Flop Shops. Curin has a proven track record in building and scaling brands globally at an epic pace.
“Little Kitchen Academy will impact change in our community and our children,” says Curin. “This approach to teaching children how to cook through empowerment not only will feed growing minds and bodies but has the capacity to make a global difference that extends well beyond the kitchen.”
Little Kitchen Academy has created a number of strategic partnerships that enable the Academy to offer an authentic, sustainable experience. One of those partnerships is with world-renowned chef, best-selling author and restauranteur Cat Cora. Cat Cora made television history when she became the first-ever female Iron Chef on Food Network’s hit show: Iron Chef America. She also became the first female inducted into The American Academy of Chefs Culinary Hall of Fame, went on to cook at two 3-star Michelin restaurants in France and is the founder of her own non-profit charitable organization, Chefs for Humanity. Cora, a proud mother of six boys, has dedicated herself to educational nutrition and engaging children in the kitchen. “Helping children make healthy food choices is an essential ingredient for instilling good habits for a lifetime,” says Cora.
Cora’s partnership with Little Kitchen Academy is a natural fit for the dedicated mom of six. “I’m all about family, food and love,” says Cora. “When I was presented with Little Kitchen Academy’s concept and Felicity’s vision it made perfect sense; it mirrors my vision for our kids’ future with food.” Cora is Little Kitchen Academy’s Official Ambassador, Honorary Head of Recipe Development, and Advisory Board Member.
Felicity Curin, Co-Founder, President & COO, Little Kitchen Academy is proud and thrilled to offer children the chance to learn the moment they walk into the Academy. Each three-hour class will have children learn through counting, measuring, touching and preparing food. At the same time, students will explore diversity, cultural influences and making the connection between the food they eat and fueling their bodies, all while having fun!
“The best way to teach kids how to eat right is to teach them how to prepare their own food,” says Curin, a proud mother of three girls. “Everything is a teaching moment in the kitchen. Students at Little Kitchen Academy will learn to ask ‘what is in my food, where did it come from, how does it benefit my body, and how can I prepare it to make it delicious to me?’ It is our honour and our privilege to provide the environment and encouragement for children to discover, build, and refine these essential life-skills.”