Business & Tech
Burr Ridge Chef Opens New Cooking School in Willowbrook
Chefs for a Day will open its doors next month in Willowbrook.
Many local residents know Chef Laura Valcour through her cooking classes at the Burr Ridge Park District and her involvement in the farmer’s market. June marks the beginning of a new business venture for Valcour who, along with best friend and business partner Ruby Melliza, will be opening a cooking school for children in neighboring Willowbrook.
“It’s a dream of mine,” Valcour says. “I just have a passion to continue to teach kids to cook.”
The Burr Ridge resident founded the school, Chefs for a Day, in 2003. But without an official place to call home, Valcour ran a mobile classroom and held demos in clients’ kitchens. Once the Village of Willowbrook grants final approval, Chefs for a Day will finally have a home at 858 75th St.
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“We’re incredibly excited. [There are] a lot of sleepless nights,” Melliza says, who will be in charge of marketing and networking.
“It’s a celebration for both of us, a new endeavor of life together,” she adds.
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The school will offer interactive cooking classes and summer camps for children of all ages and levels. There will also be hands-on demonstrations, guest speakers and instruction for individuals and groups. The new location will allow the community to host events at the school such as birthday parties and school field trips.
“The focus is primarily on kids. There’s also an adult aspect,” Valcour says. Adding that they will provide healthy lifestyle classes for adults.
Other plans include offering field trips to farms and lunch-break lessons to businesses that include a demonstration and lunch, Valcour says.
“[The goal] is to make the farm-to-school connection and purchase directly from the farmers,” Valcour says, adding that produce will come from Twin Garden Farms in Harvard, IL. “That’s a dream: trying to go as green as possible.”
The chef notes that she will continue in her role as manager of the Burr Ridge Farmer’s Market for the summer. After that, Valcour is unsure whether she will continue in her role there.
“I’d rather take it season-by-season,” she says.
To learn more about Chefs for a Day and their upcoming open house on June 23, visit their Website.
