New England Culinary Institute
Encyclopedia
The New England Culinary Institute (NECI) is a career oriented, culinary college located in Montpelier, Vermont
, founded on June 15, 1980, by Fran Voigt and John Dranow. The first NECI class, conducted by Chef Michel LeBorgne, had just seven students (now it has 500 students). A second campus was operated in Essex, Vermont
, from August 1989 through August 2009. It is highly regarded as a leading culinary university in the United States.
New England Culinary Institute's curriculum is based on "learning by doing," immersing students in real kitchen situations and maintaining a small teacher/chef to student ratio in comparison to other American culinary schools. The Culinary Institute runs a number of restaurants in Montpelier, as well as providing food service for Vermont College
and National Life
.
Further, this method of teaching demands that New England Culinary Institute's students be professional and punctual. This 'real world' training and education does not allow the student to willfully skip classes as other colleges may. Students are urged to be passionate about their field of study.
Each applicant is required to submit a letter of intent, a letter of recommendation, high school and college transcripts alongside the application. A positive academic history is preferred. New England Culinary Institute is a more selective culinary college than others and on average accepts about 54% of its yearly applicants.
Associate Degree Programs
Bachelor Degree Programs
Montpelier, Vermont
Montpelier is a city in the U.S. state of Vermont that serves as the state capital and the shire town of Washington County. As the capital of Vermont, Montpelier is the site of the Vermont State House, seat of the legislative branch of Vermont government. The population was 7,855 at the 2010...
, founded on June 15, 1980, by Fran Voigt and John Dranow. The first NECI class, conducted by Chef Michel LeBorgne, had just seven students (now it has 500 students). A second campus was operated in Essex, Vermont
Essex, Vermont
Essex is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. The population was 19,587 at the 2010 census.By population, Essex is the largest town in Vermont, and the second-largest municipality .-Government:...
, from August 1989 through August 2009. It is highly regarded as a leading culinary university in the United States.
New England Culinary Institute's curriculum is based on "learning by doing," immersing students in real kitchen situations and maintaining a small teacher/chef to student ratio in comparison to other American culinary schools. The Culinary Institute runs a number of restaurants in Montpelier, as well as providing food service for Vermont College
Vermont College of Fine Arts
Vermont College of Fine Arts offers four distinct graduate programs, awarding Master of Fine Arts degrees in Visual Art, Writing, Writing for Children & Young Adults and Graphic Design. The student to faculty ratio at VCFA is 4-to-1.. The faculty and alumni of VCFA have won many literary awards,...
and National Life
National Life Insurance Company
National Life Insurance Company was chartered on November 13, 1848 “upon the principle of mutual participation in the funds or profits” of the company. As such, the National Life of Vermont was a mutual company even though that fact was not apparent from its name...
.
Education theory
Students at New England Culinary Institute are trained and educated in the school's restaurants while preparing food for paying customers. The school's 'learn by doing' method of teaching has yielded positive results; in addition to teaching the student, this method also gives them experience needed to be culinary leaders in the industry.Further, this method of teaching demands that New England Culinary Institute's students be professional and punctual. This 'real world' training and education does not allow the student to willfully skip classes as other colleges may. Students are urged to be passionate about their field of study.
Small classes
The student to teacher ratio at New England Culinary Institute is 10:1. This allows each student to receive individual attention from the Chef instructor and allows the student freedom to ask questions and receive direct feedback. Small class sizes are crucial to the school's educational theory. Not only does a small class insure each student close attention, but it also teaches the student to work within a team, which is an important skill when working in a production kitchen.Campus
New England Culinary Institute's campus is integrated into the town of Montpelier. It consists of multiple administrative buildings, a student cafeteria, classrooms, dormitories and student houses, teaching restaurants including NECI on Main, a teaching bakery called La Brioche, and an orientation hall.Admissions
New England Culinary Institute has no set admissions criteria, and each application is viewed individually. The prospective student's application is reviewed by the director of admissions, an admissions committee, and a Chef instructor.Each applicant is required to submit a letter of intent, a letter of recommendation, high school and college transcripts alongside the application. A positive academic history is preferred. New England Culinary Institute is a more selective culinary college than others and on average accepts about 54% of its yearly applicants.
Educational programs
Certification Programs- Certificate in Basic Cooking
- Certificate in Baking
- Certificate in Pastry
Associate Degree Programs
- AOS in Baking and Pastry Arts
- AOS in Culinary Arts
- AOS in Hospitality & Restaurant Management
Bachelor Degree Programs
- BABachelor of ArtsA Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Culinary Arts - BABachelor of ArtsA Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Hospitality & Restaurant Management
Notable alumni
- Doug Bell – Executive Sous Chef of Stripsteak in Las Vegas
- Alton BrownAlton BrownAlton Crawford Brown is an American television personality, author, actor, and cinematographer. He is the creator and host of the Food Network television show Good Eats and the mini-series Feasting on Asphalt and Feasting on Waves, and he is the host and main commentator on Iron Chef America...
– Host of Good EatsGood EatsGood Eats is a television cooking show created and hosted by Alton Brown which airs in North America on Food Network. Likened to television science educators Mr. Wizard and Bill Nye, Brown explores the science and technique behind the cooking, the history of different foods, and the advantages of...
, Feasting on AsphaltFeasting on AsphaltFeasting on Asphalt is a television series starring Alton Brown of the Food Network programs Good Eats and Iron Chef America.Brown's third series, Feasting on Asphalt explores "road food" in the historical and present-day United States, with an emphasis on unique restaurants and regional cuisine...
, and Iron Chef AmericaIron Chef AmericaIron Chef America: The Series is an American cooking show based on Fuji Television's Iron Chef, and is the second American adaptation of the series, following the failed Iron Chef USA. The show is produced by Food Network, which also carried a dubbed version of the original Iron Chef. Like the... - Steve Corry – Owner/operator of Five Fifty-Five in Portland, Maine, and one of Food & Wine MagazineFood & Wine MagazineFood & Wine is a monthly magazine published by American Express Publishing. It was founded in 1978 by Ariane and Michael Batterberry. It features recipes, cooking tips, travel information, restaurant reviews, chefs, wine pairings and seasonal/holiday content and has been credited by The New York...
’s ten “Best New Chefs - 2007” - Paul HoganPaul Hogan (butler)Paul Hogan is a former Australian Consul turned celebrity butler. He is most famous to television audiences for portraying “the Butler” on the TV series Joe Millionaire...
– Former Australian Consul turned celebrity butler - Steve Jackson – Personal chef to the Chicago BullsChicago BullsThe Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
- Gavin KaysenGavin KaysenGavin Kaysen is executive chef at noted French chef and restaurateur Daniel Boulud's New York City restaurant, Cafe Boulud....
– Chef de cuisine of Cafe Boulud in New York City, one of ten "Best New Chefs - 2007", and Next Iron Chef contestant