Vitamix® Unveils Nationwide Culinary School Program At 2013 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show

CLEVELAND, May 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Trusted by professionals and chosen by leading chefs worldwide, Vitamix machines inspire creativity in food preparation in some of the finest bistros, restaurants and coffee houses around the globe. In an effort to assist the next generation of outstanding culinary experts and mixologists reach their aspirations, Vitamix announced the official launch of the Vitamix Culinary School Program at the 2013 National Restaurant Association (NRA) Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show held at Chicago's McCormick Place.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130529/CL22273 )

The announcement was made at a luncheon hosted by Vitamix and Kendall College, a Vitamix Culinary School Program participant. With the assistance of Kendall College students currently being trained on Vitamix machines, attendees were treated to an amazing, multi-course lunch.  Attendees experienced the creations of tomorrow's chefs from Kendall College, as they combined their culinary skills and talents with the power and versatility of various Vitamix machines.

Through the Culinary School Program, Vitamix is helping the next generation of professionals develop at the forefront of tomorrow's culinary scene.  Since the program's inception in 2012, Vitamix commercial machines have been provided to 150 premier culinary schools located across the United States. Within those schools, Vitamix has committed to offering instructors and more than 52,000 of their students access to the latest innovations in Vitamix commercial blending technology. 

Institutions are carefully considered and evaluated prior to being invited to engage in the Culinary School Program. Active partners in the program include numerous Le Cordon Bleu and Johnson & Wales campuses throughout the U.S., among many others.

"These culinary authorities of the future will undoubtedly choose the finest ingredients and work tirelessly until the flavors and texture of their creations are perfect," said Karen Haefling, vice president of marketing, Vitamix. "A Vitamix blender can provide the quality, durability, reliability and inspiration that is essential to their chosen craft. By presenting culinary students access to the best equipment, Vitamix hopes to add confidence, skills and value to their training."

"Students can only become the best when working with the best," said Michael Carmel, department head, culinary arts at the Culinary Institute of Charleston. "Thanks to the Vitamix Culinary School Program, our students have the ability to work with the best-performing blender in the industry.  Whether it is a beginning class learning to make soups and sauces or an advanced class making mousses and terrines, Vitamix has become the standard bearer for quality and performance with our faculty and students."

Students are currently being trained on one or more of the following Vitamix machines at their individual schools:

• The award-winning The Quiet One^® is a powerful, premium blender designed to create a more enjoyable customer atmosphere for any front-of-the-house establishment. Its six function settings with 34 optimized programs deliver a consistently superior blended product, significantly improved speed of service and unparalleled sound reduction. 
• The Vita-Prep^® 3 features a powerful motor, variable speed and an accelerator tool for consistent, superior results when pureeing, grinding, chopping and more.  An advanced cooling fan provides optimum reliability during peak hours of operation. Professionals worldwide value its exceptional power, versatility and performance. 
• Maximizing serving abilities and expanding menu offerings is easy with the 1.5 gallon real blending capacity in the Vitamix XL^®, which allows for up to 24 (8 oz.) servings in a single batch for both hot and cold ingredients. Reduced prep time and improved staff efficiency results in labor and time savings.

"Vitamix is essential to our culinary school," said Michael Combs, executive chef, Institute for the Culinary Arts at Metropolitan Community College of Omaha, Nebraska. "It allows our students to use professional equipment, which reduces prep time and produces excellent results with reliability."

Vitamix will continue to expand its Culinary School Program through a wide array of concentrated efforts and additional learning opportunities. Participating schools and their students will be invited to further engage with Vitamix on a variety levels.

For more information on the Vitamix machines utilized as part of the Culinary School Program, including The Quiet One, The Vita-Prep 3 and the Vitamix XL, visit vitamix.com or call 1-800-4DRINK4.

About Vitamix^®

Vitamix, privately owned and operated by the Barnard family since 1921, manufactures and markets superior blending and mixing products directly to the public and the restaurant/hospitality industry.  Vitamix is recognized as a leader in innovation in the direct marketing industry, having created the infomercial genre in the late 1940s and developed the first true commercial blender in the early 1990s.  The company's commercial customer list reads like a "Who's Who" of major restaurant chains, and gourmet chefs worldwide say their Vitamix machines are more important to them than their knives.  Nestled in the valley of picturesque Olmsted Township, Ohio, the company employs more than 700 people, has a global presence in more than 100 countries and continues to win awards for product innovation.  For more information, visit vitamix.com.

SOURCE Vitamix