Scratch Cooking Training & Kitchen Systems for K-12 School Food Pros

With nearly half a century of in-the-trenches foodservice experience, we teach the culinary skills and kitchen systems that help school food pros cook fresh meals from whole food ingredients, grown close to home whenever possible. Better food, smoother kitchens, and meals kids love!

A smiling woman holding a tray full of assorted slices of pizza and salads in a cafeteria or food service setting.
A young boy in a blue jacket holding a tray of food, standing next to a man in a chef's uniform. They appear to be in a commercial kitchen or cafeteria setting, with the man smiling and the boy looking at the camera.
How We Can Help
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Budgets, staffing, and heat-and-serve habits are pulling focus from the food.

Somewhere along the way, processed, heat-and-serve menus became the default in school kitchens.

Meanwhile, student participation stalls, waste climbs, and your school food pros never get the chance to show what they can do.

Tray of assorted sushi rolls including cucumber rolls, salmon, and avocado sushi, with a green and white carton of milk in the background.

HOW WE BRING THE FOOD BACK TO CENTER STAGE

PLAN your cycle menus well.

PROCURE and manage the food carefully.

PREPARE and serve the food in fresh and tasty ways.

PROCLAIM your food improvement efforts to your community.

A cartoon chef wearing glasses, a tall white chef's hat, and a white chef's coat, holding a large orange carrot with green leaves in his right hand, standing in a kitchen.

MEET CHEF KENT

“It’s gotta be all about the food first!”

46+ Years in Foodservice • Culinary Institute of America Graduate • 17 Years as a School District Foodservice Director • Consulting Nationwide Since 2016

WE’VE STOOD IN YOUR KITCHEN

Before he ever trained a school kitchen, Chef Kent spent 17 years as Foodservice Director for the Wenatchee School District. He knows the budgets, the meal pattern requirements, the admin reviews, and the 6 a.m. starts, because he lived them.

Chef is backed by 46+ years in professional kitchens and a degree from the Culinary Institute of America. Since 2016, Kent and team have traveled the country helping school food pros do more and more scratch cooking every day!

Meet the Rest of the Team

Training and Support for Every Stage of Your Scratch Cooking Journey

A group of people in green uniforms serve themselves food at a cafeteria counter with various dishes, including salads, pickles, and cooked vegetables.

Scratch Cooking Operational Transformation Program

Our flagship, multi-visit program. We build your team's skills step by step with the Scaffolded-Skills Approach and the Planned-Overs Approach to menu planning, with "Yes, Chef!" on-demand support between visits.

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People working together in a kitchen serving food. They are wearing matching green shirts and black aprons, with some using gloves, and are preparing and serving various dishes on a long stainless steel counter.

“Fresh Eyes” Review

An on-site assessment of your kitchens, menus, and systems, with practical recommendations for where to go next.

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An assortment of Mexican foods including tortilla chips, two different kinds of salsas, chopped radishes, chopped tomatoes, and cooked diced sweet potatoes on a table.

Lab-Setting Training

Focused, low-pressure classes where staff practice new skills before bringing them back to the line.

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Workers preparing or packing canned and bottled food items, with a focus on an open canned item in a stainless steel container and a large tray of sliced fruit or salad in the background.

Live-Setting Training

Hands-on training during a regular production day. Your team cooks a scratch-made menu and serves it to real students, and you keep collecting meal reimbursements.

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Group of people in green uniforms serving food on trays in a kitchen or cafeteria setting.

Team-Builder Events

Collaborative cooking challenges that build trust, communication, and pride across your whole crew.

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Not exactly sure what you need?

No problem! Let’s start with a conversation

What if all of this were true about your school food program?

  • Our Program operates within budget

  • We are always ready for the next Admin Review

  • Everyday we make and serve beautiful, delicious foods

  • Program participation levels are high because kids LOVE the food

  • Our Staff loves what they do! Staff pride, competence, and confidence are high and always improving

  • Our parents, community, and other stakeholders are proud supporters of the work we're doing because it's inspiring

This level of success is within reach!

WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING

  • "I really appreciate everything that you've done for our Food Service Team and our Farm to School Program over the last two years. It's really incredible how far our meals have come. I also believe that our work in the kitchen catalyzed all the other growth our program has experienced and all the recognition Concrete Farm to School has received."

    Rachel Muia Farm to School Coordinator, Concrete Schools

  • "Kent is innovative, focused on excellence and has great interpersonal skills. Kent has demonstrated a commitment to improving nutrition for children in the K-12 education system. I am proud to have collaborated with Kent in the Wenatchee School District."

    Jesus Hernandez
    CEO, Family Health Centers

  • "Last year we realized we had reached the limit of our growth. We have a great team, and they can follow a recipe - but what we were missing was the expertise of a trained chef. We found Chef Kent on Facebook and took the chance - it was by far the best decision we have ever made. Chef Kent and Chef Laura walked into the door at 5:45 am and by 6:00 am they were up to their elbows in flour."

    Judi Reynolds
    Director of Food Services, Fallbrook Union High School District

  • "WOW, That was really a fantastic training session! The ideas and excitement in the High School kitchen this morning are electric! I am over the moon excited for the energy and attitudes of our staff!"

    Melissa Paulus
    Nutrition Service Director, Nooksack Schools

  • "Inviting Chef Kent and Chef Laura into our District was one of the best decisions that I have made in my tenure. Their ability to quickly assess and acclimate to three different high school kitchens and a central kitchen, each with different equipment and staff, was simply amazing. They quickly became part of each team by explaining AND listening to the employees."

    Anna M. Apoian, MPA, RD
    Norwalk-La Mirada USD

  • "I highly recommend Kent Getzin as a consultant. I worked with Kent for 15 years, supervising him for much of that time. Under Kent's leadership, our food service department went from operating in the red, to operating in the black and being self-sufficient in covering all expenses, from labor to capital equipment. Even more importantly, the quality of food got better and better."

    Jon Dejong
    Deputy Superintendent

Getting started is easy!

Start a Conversation With Kent
Tell us about your program, your kitchens, and where you want to go.

Get a Plan Built for Your District
We'll recommend the right fit, whether that's an on-site review, a single training, a team event, or a multi-visit transformation program.

Watch Your Program Grow
Your school food pros gain the skills and confidence to cook more from scratch, and kids get meals they love!