Marquee Brands, Rouxbe, Strategic Education, Inc., and Chef Scott Conant team up to provide culinary curriculum that gives students the knowledge and skills to master the culinary arts
HERNDON, Va., November 5, 2020 — Marquee Brands, global brand owner of Sur La Table — a leader in providing a hands-on culinary cooking experience, together with Rouxbe, the world’s leading online culinary content provider, Chef Scott Conant, successful restaurateur and television personality, and Strategic Education, Inc. (Strategic Education), a leading online higher education company dedicated to advancing economic mobility for all, today announced the launch of the Sur La Table Online Culinary Institute, a new online education program designed to help students obtain the skills they need to succeed in the kitchen and thrive in the modern culinary world.
This partnership of some of the nation’s leading culinary and education brands will deliver an affordable, high-quality online culinary curriculum that is relevant and unique to aficionados and will eventually grow into an offering that serves careerists. Currently, the Sur La Table Online Culinary Institute courses are being reviewed by the American Council on Education (ACE) and are already recognized by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation (ACFEF) as an Approved Program.
The program will initially feature six courses with 55 hours of instruction each and three thematic courses ranging from two to four hours. These courses, offered by Strategic Education and delivered by Rouxbe, support personal development in culinary practices through an online, self-paced experience. Students will receive feedback on their progress by our expert chefs trained in the discipline of study. Offerings will be added continually to provide new and engaging experiences for students, with plans to expand to serve careerists.
Marquee Brands, which owns the Sur La Table trademark portfolio, will provide branding supervision and marketing support for the Sur La Table Online Culinary Institute. Sur La Table’s roster of 300 resident chefs will have the opportunity to participate in the program and provide feedback to help support and shape the evolution of the program. Chef Scott Conant will serve as Master Chef for the educational offering, providing counsel on future courses and curriculum for the program.
In addition to lending expertise on delivering a successful online education experience and providing the hub to access the culinary content, Strategic Education, which owns Strayer University and Capella University, will serve as a premier education provider to employees of Marquee Brands and Sur La Table.
“The global pandemic has been especially devastating for the food and hospitality industries, forcing many talented chefs to put their culinary dreams on hold or reinvent them completely. Similarly, culinary education — one that has been historically expensive and in-person — has been forced to quickly pivot online,” said Karl McDonnell, Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Education. “When we decided to launch a culinary offering at Strategic Education, we made a conscious decision to only work with the best in the industry so that our students can have a top-notch online culinary education. That’s why we’re proud to be a part of this endeavor with the definitive leader in in-person culinary education experiences, Sur La Table, as well as top online culinary content provider Rouxbe, and world-renowned chef Scott Conant to create a new kind of innovative education experience that provides accessible, affordable and flexible learning options for anyone looking to perfect their technique and advance their culinary skills.”
“Rouxbe is uniquely positioned to help Sur La Table and Strategic Education expand their education into the culinary space, as Rouxbe has provided online culinary education for 25 years, developing the most sophisticated and effective platform available,” said Gary Apito, Chief Operating Officer at Rouxbe. “This group of experts in their field provide the perfect blend of culinary education and training delivered seamlessly on any device and in any location, and help ensure those looking to advance their knowledge of the culinary arts that they won’t have to put their dreams on hold. The Rouxbe platform provides access to foundational culinary technique content and knowledge of industry best practices and culinary trends for the Sur La Table Online Culinary Institute. The Sur La Table Online Culinary Institute will provide stackable, self-paced courses for students to gain new skills or round out existing knowledge.”
The initial Sur La Table Online Culinary Institute courses include Professional Cooking Fundamentals; Foundations of Cuisine; Cooking Methods; Cooking Meat, Fish, Poultry & Plant-Based Proteins; Culinary Nutrition & Wellness; Basics of Baking & Pastry, Knife Skills Boot Camp, Cooking on a Budget, and A Plant-Based Celebration.
“Marquee Brands is thrilled to be partnering with Strategic Education to deliver a world-class, affordable online culinary curriculum,” said Carolyn D’Angelo, President of the Marquee Brands home division, which oversees the Sur La Table portfolio. “Sur La Table’s extensive in-person culinary education expertise coupled with Strategic Education’s niche in online learning will give students the knowledge and skills they need to take their culinary prowess to the next level.”
“I’ve crossed paths with a lot of people who share a passion for food culture, but hesitate to take that first step in pursuing their culinary dreams,” said Chef Scott Conant. “What Sur La Table Online Culinary Institute offers is a remarkable capability to provide rich, interactive and hands-on culinary education that is affordable and completely online. The ability to learn at your own pace from anywhere in the country as long as you’re in a kitchen is an opportunity unlike any other. The Sur La Table Online Culinary Institute is providing the tools and opportunity for anyone to pursue their passions; that’s extremely powerful, and I love being a part of it.”
Visit www.surlatableonlineculinaryinstitute.com for more information about the program.
About Rouxbe
Rouxbe, the world’s leading online culinary school, was founded in 2005 to train people of all abilities to become better, more confident — even healthier — cooks in kitchens around the world. With high definition videos, world-class instructors, peer support and interactive assignments, Rouxbe has set the bar as the new standard in culinary education; providing certificate-level instruction not only to quality restaurants and hospitality organizations but also to serious home cooks and career changers. Rouxbe’s revolutionary online platform delivers cutting edge e-learning solutions that drive and measure learning outcomes and engagement while providing effective, lower-cost alternatives for training professional cooks. Rouxbe programs are also recognized by both the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation and by WorldChefs as approved training programs.
About Strategic Education
Strategic Education, Inc. (NASDAQ: STRA) (www.strategiceducation.com) is dedicated to helping advance economic mobility through higher education. We serve working adult students all over the globe through our core focus areas: 1) U.S. Higher Education, through Strayer University and Capella University, each institutionally accredited, and collectively offer flexible and affordable associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs, including the Jack Welch Management Institute at Strayer University; 2) Alternative Learning, encompassing Sophia Learning, self-paced general education courses that are ACE-recommended for college credit; Workforce Edge, a full service, online employee education management portal; Digital Enablement Partnerships, helping advance capabilities in course development, online delivery and student support; and non-degree web and mobile application development courses through Hackbright Academy and Strayer University’s DevMountain; and 3) Australia/New Zealand, comprised of Torrens University, Think Education and Media Design School operations in Australia and New Zealand. This portfolio of high quality, innovative, relevant, and affordable programs and institutions helps our students prepare for success in today’s workforce and find a path to bettering their lives.
About Marquee Brands
Marquee Brands is a leading global brand owner and marketer. Owned by investor funds managed by Neuberger Berman, one of the world’s leading employee-owned investment managers, Marquee Brands targets high quality brands with strong consumer awareness and long-term growth potential. The portfolio includes Martha Stewart, BCBG, Ben Sherman, Dakine, Sur La Table, Body Glove, Emeril Lagasse, Motherhood Maternity, A Pea in a Pod, and Bruno Magli. Through its global team of professionals and partners, Marquee Brands monitors trends and markets in order to grow and manage brands in partnership with retailers, licensees and manufacturers through engaging, impactful strategic planning, marketing, and ecommerce.
About Scott Conant
Chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and TV personality Scott Conant brings a deft touch and unwavering passion to creating culinary experiences with thoughtful hospitality and soulful cuisine. He is the chef and owner of Mora Italian, a modern, convivial osteria in Phoenix, Arizona, and Italian steakhouse Cellaio at Resorts World Catskills in Monticello, New York. Conant expanded his Arizona restaurant portfolio in the fall of 2020 after taking helm of The Americano, an Italian-inspired steakhouse in Scottsdale. He is well-known for his Food Network appearances, including his tenure as a judge on Chopped for over a decade. In early 2020, he began hosting the dessert-themed spinoff Chopped Sweets and has also been a frequent co-host on Beat Bobby Flay. He has published three cookbooks: New Italian Cooking, Bold Italian, and The Scarpetta Cookbook. www.scottconant.com
