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Joachim Schaaf: Chef on a mission

Contributed by: Ellen Bjorhus on 1/9/2008

Editor's note: Visit our Faces of Lakewood and Edgewater page, where YourHub.com staff and readers can introduce you to more people -- and a dog -- who make this part of the metro area what it is.

Joachim Schaaf is the senior Chef Instructor of the Culinary Arts program at Warren Tech, Jefferson County School District's career and technical high school. He also conducts an evening culinary apprenticeship for adults. He came to Warren Tech in 1995.

Schaaf was born in Meinheim, West Germany, a very small town south of Frankfurt. He completed his culinary education throughout Europe where he developed an interest in classical French cuisine and became determined to pursue it. He calls it "the mother of all cuisines" and it is what he teaches his young students at Warren Tech. He worked his way up from apprentice to chef de cuisine to demi-chef to chef garde-manger to sous chef to private chef to executive chef; he poured his energy into every step because of his passion for the profession.

Today, he directs his new, young students, "You've got to like what you're doing to be successful. If you have an interest and a passion for a field, you will be successful." While teaching at the Emily Griffith Opportunity School, Joachim realized he had something to give to students. His years of focus and dedication to his art made him a natural role model for culinary students who wanted to pursue cooking as an art and learn from a most experienced chef. He moved up the ranks in the European apprenticeship system- learn from a master to become a master-and now he is the master.

In 2005, he co-founded the Rocky Mountain Chefs of Colorado Apprenticeship, a program for high school graduates and adults. After 13 years teaching with an American Culinary Federation sponsored apprenticeship program, Chef Schaaf and three others combined efforts to form the Rocky Mountain Chefs of Colorado Apprenticeship. Chef Schaaf is proud to have helped create an apprenticeship program that is more student-focused and very affordable. He had a realization while working at the Emily Griffith Opportunity School: education should be affordable to anyone. He knew what he was teaching at Emily Griffith was equivalent-or better-than any costly culinary arts school. The philosophy of Emily Griffith, "for all who wish to learn", reinforced his belief of affordable education and getting paid while you learn. In fact, he calls Mrs. Emily Griffith his role model.

In 1995, Joachim came to Warren Tech as the senior chef Instructor and has become a man with a mission. Though he could obtain an executive chef position at a moment's notice, he is dedicated to creating a quality program for high school students; public high school students, in particular.

The Culinary Arts Program at Warren Tech is a three-semester program where students learn about the "back of the house" -- cooking and baking -- and the "front of the house" -- dining room management. Students attend traditional classroom instruction one day a week and the remaining days they are learning as they work

The Warren Tech restaurant, Expectations, is a full service restaurant, deli and catering service. It is a favorite among locals because it's good food at very reasonable prices. The monthly buffets require reservations because they are so popular with the local community.

Warren Tech is Jefferson County School District's Career and Technical High School open to any student at least 16 years old from Jefferson, Clear Creek or Gilpin counties. For more information, call 303-982-8600 or visit the website, www.warrentech.org.


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Showing 1 of 1 comments
Submitted By: Erin Feese
posted on 1/9/2008 @ 12:33:59 PM
Rated Story
That sounds like such a great program for kids to get involved with. And I never knew Warren Tech had a restaurant! How cool.
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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Ellen Bjorhus

Lakewood , CO

Ellen Bjorhus has posted 22 stories and 0 comments since joining on 5/31/2006. Ellen Bjorhus 's average story rating is 5.
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