Culinary Arts
Dual Enrollment with Greenville Technical College
Instructor: Chef Bill Twaler
Visit the Teacher WebsiteBuild Skills for the Culinary and Hospitality Industry
Culinary Arts combines creativity, technical skill, organization, and teamwork. Culinary professionals prepare food, manage kitchen operations, maintain safety and sanitation standards, and create positive experiences for customers in restaurants, hotels, catering businesses, and other hospitality settings.
Enoree’s two-year Culinary Arts program is part of the South Carolina Hospitality and Tourism Career Cluster. Students train in a professional lab kitchen while developing skills in food production, cooking, baking, sanitation, nutrition, cost control, customer service, and kitchen management.
The program is offered in partnership with Greenville Technical College, allowing eligible students to earn high school and college credit while completing approved dual enrollment coursework through the Culinary Institute of the Carolinas.
What Students Learn
- Professional food production and service
- Kitchen safety, sanitation, and food-handling procedures
- Knife skills and proper use of culinary tools and equipment
- Cooking, baking, nutrition, and ingredient preparation
- Menu planning, plating, presentation, and portion control
- Food cost control, purchasing, and inventory management
- Teamwork, leadership, customer service, and time management
Certification Opportunities
- Tier 1: OSHA 10-Hour and ServSafe Food Handler
- Tier 2: YouScience Event Planning and Management, Hospitality and Tourism, and Lodging and Recreation
- Tier 3: ServSafe Food Manager and ProStart credentials, including START Restaurant Server, Breakfast Attendant, and Kitchen Cook
Program Credits
Students earn two high school credits each semester and may earn up to eight high school credits during the two-year program. These credits count as electives toward South Carolina high school graduation requirements. One credit may fulfill the CATE/Foreign Language graduation requirement.
College Credit Opportunity
Eligible students may earn college credit through Greenville Technical College while completing approved dual enrollment coursework. Students must meet all applicable Greenville Technical College and dual enrollment requirements.
Visit the Program
Prospective students and their families may have opportunities to meet Chef Twaler and tour the Culinary Arts kitchen during the recruitment season. Contact Enoree Career Center for current tour dates and availability.
Year One: Building the Foundation
Culinary Arts 1 and 2 | Morning Session at Enoree
First Semester: CUL 155 Sanitation through Greenville Technical College
Year one introduces students to the foundations of professional cooking while developing the discipline, sanitation habits, teamwork, and creativity needed for success in the culinary industry. The program is open to rising 10th- and 11th-grade students who are prepared to make a two-year commitment.
Students begin with kitchen safety, sanitation, knife skills, equipment use, food preparation, and the fundamentals of cooking and baking. Instruction also introduces nutrition, food production, recipe interpretation, measurements, portion control, and cost awareness.
Students learn in a professional lab kitchen where organization, cleanliness, communication, and preparation are essential. Hands-on projects allow students to apply classroom instruction while learning how culinary teams work together to complete meals safely and on time.
As students progress through Culinary Arts 2, they expand their cooking and baking skills through projects that reflect restaurant, banquet, and catering operations. Instruction includes menu planning, plating, presentation, customer service, and the coordination of multiple kitchen tasks.
Students continue developing teamwork and time-management skills while learning to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment. They are expected to follow recipes, maintain sanitation standards, communicate clearly, and take responsibility for the quality of their work.
Students also prepare for certifications such as ServSafe Food Handler. By the end of year one, students should have the technical foundation, professional habits, and confidence needed for advanced production and management experiences during year two.
Year Two: Advancing the Skills
Culinary Arts 3 and 4 | Afternoon Session at Enoree
Year two builds on the skills developed during the first year and challenges students to perform at a more advanced and professional level. The pace, complexity, and expectations increase as students complete advanced cooking, baking, menu-planning, and food-service projects.
Students prepare multi-course meals while developing timing, consistency, presentation, portioning, and leadership skills. Instruction also includes food cost analysis, purchasing, inventory management, kitchen organization, and the coordination of team responsibilities.
Students are expected to demonstrate professionalism, efficiency, dependability, and the ability to adjust when conditions change in a fast-paced kitchen environment.
As students progress through Culinary Arts 3 and 4, instruction focuses on creativity, efficiency, leadership, and advanced technical skill. Students may explore international cuisine, baking and pastry, professional presentation, purchasing, inventory, customer service, and other business aspects of food service.
Eligible students may participate in work-based learning with local restaurants and hospitality employers. These experiences allow students to apply classroom and kitchen instruction in professional settings, develop workplace skills, and build relationships with employers.
Students also prepare for advanced certifications, including ServSafe Food Manager and ProStart credentials. Graduates leave the program with hands-on experience, industry credentials, college credit opportunities, and preparation for restaurants, catering, hotels, culinary school, hospitality programs, entrepreneurship, or entry-level employment.
Career Opportunities
Culinary Arts can lead to careers in restaurants, bakeries, hotels, catering, food service, hospitality management, and entrepreneurship. Advanced positions generally require experience, additional training, or postsecondary education.
Line Cook
Line cooks prepare ingredients and menu items at assigned kitchen stations. They follow recipes, maintain sanitation standards, coordinate timing with other team members, and help ensure food is prepared consistently.
Pastry Chef
Pastry chefs prepare breads, pastries, cakes, desserts, and other baked products. They may also develop recipes, manage ingredients, control costs, order supplies, and supervise bakery production.
Sous Chef
Sous chefs assist with kitchen leadership, food preparation, staff coordination, quality control, sanitation, inventory, and daily production. They often serve as the second-in-command in a professional kitchen.
Executive Chef
Executive chefs oversee menu development, food quality, staffing, purchasing, cost control, sanitation, and overall kitchen operations. This leadership position generally requires significant professional experience.
Skills for Success
Successful culinary students and professionals combine technical knowledge with dependable workplace habits. Important skills and expectations include:
- Safety and sanitation: Follow food-safety procedures, prevent cross-contamination, and maintain a clean kitchen.
- Attention to detail: Follow recipes, measurements, cooking methods, and presentation standards accurately.
- Time management: Organize tasks and complete several responsibilities within a limited period.
- Communication: Listen carefully, share information, accept direction, and coordinate with the kitchen team.
- Composure: Remain focused and productive in a fast-paced environment where timing and accuracy matter.
- Creativity and technical skill: Balance presentation, flavor, customer needs, food safety, and cost considerations.
Professional Kitchen Expectations
Culinary students must be prepared to work on their feet, follow safety procedures, handle food and equipment responsibly, maintain sanitation standards, work as part of a team, and complete assigned responsibilities within established time limits.
Certification Opportunities
Select an organization below to learn more about hospitality, food safety, and culinary industry credentials.
Local Work-Based Learning Partners
Local restaurants and hospitality employers help students connect Culinary Arts instruction with professional workplace expectations and experiences.
Graduation and college admission note: Credits earned through this program count as electives toward South Carolina high school graduation requirements. One credit may fulfill the CATE/Foreign Language graduation requirement. Most four-year colleges do not accept career center courses as substitutes for foreign language courses required for college admission. Students should review graduation, dual enrollment, and college admission requirements with their school counselor, Chef Twaler, and Greenville Technical College.