Lil' Chef School
About
My name is Tracey Doty, the owner and founder of Lil’ Chef School, established in 2010. We are located in Irvine, formerly known as Young Chefs Academy. We are a children’s cooking school that offers birthday parties, cooking classes, workshops, special events, field trips and camps to children from ages 3 to adult. We specialize in kitchen safety, and teach children how to cook by introducing various age-appropriate cooking techniques. We also teach children how to set and clear a table, execute proper table manners and introduce various cooking utensils and appliances and their use. We educate students on nutrition and we use all fresh ingredients and most dishes are made from scratch.
These classes and camps allow children to be creative and explore the Culinary Arts experience. It also encourages them to try new foods. They are more likely to try something that they have created which broadens their pallet and introduces them to new textures through feel and taste. In addition to being located in our Irvine facility, these classes are currently being offered on school campuses during and after school hours. This allows parents more time in the afternoon without having to pay the high cost of daycare.
Lil’ Chef School offers a fun, educational and a valuable unique experience that children savor for their rest of their lives. It’s never too soon to cook and we are never too old. Cooking is an essential part of our daily lives and what an inspiring opportunity for our company... to introduce to young children!
Photos and videos
No reviews (yet)
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
These classes meet once a week for 90 minutes of hands-on cooking full of learning and fun, just choose your day! Children learn cuisines of the world and enhance their experience with fruits, vegetables, herbs & spices while gaining confidence and experience in the kitchen that will last them a lifetime.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
This is a hands-on cooking class that explores different types of cuisines using the basic fundamentals of cooking! Lil’ Chef School teaches children of all ages the joy of cooking in a kid-friendly and safe environment. Budding chefs learn the basics of cooking, while participating in the preparation of real recipes they get to taste at the end of each class. Students also learn kitchen safety, etiquette, knife skills, math and science! Students will be grouped together, according to age and skill to learn teamwork.
We will use different cooking techniques to complete themed-base recipes, exploring different herbs and spices, fresh fruits and vegetables. We will work on 2 recipes per class and all recipes are made from scratch.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
12 weeks: $299 (a $206 savings)
8 weeks: $198 (a $ 147 savings)
4 weeks: $109 (a $56 savings)
5 Class Pack: $140 (a $60 savings)
Per Class: $40
One-Time Trial Class: $30
This class may use charter funds (Sky Mountain Charter School, iLead, Excel, Sage Oak, Springs, Inspire, National University Academy and Shield). Simply let your local representative know and they will send the PO to us for enrollment in the class.
How did you get started teaching?
On February 1st, 2010 Lil’Chef School opened it’s doors for the first time and for the past six years, we have been so incredibly blessed. Before opening our doors, I was a stay-at-home, single mother, who had been out of the work force for over ten years. I felt like being a mom was my identity, it’s who I was, but I knew there was something more. I had a passion for cooking and truly enjoyed cooking with my children.
While watching one of my favorite channels, the Food Network, an idea sparked inside of me. I wanted to open a cooking school and teach preschoolers how to cook. Cooking is an essential part of our daily lives. What an inspiring business opportunity, to have the chance to introduce cooking to young children!
What types of students have you worked with?
Ages 3- adults