BRIDGEPORT – Connecticut Housing Partners (CHP) has partnered with culinary expert and entrepreneur Chef Raquel Rivera of A Pinch of Salt to form the Culinary Hub for aspiring chefs.
“We’re in the process of launching a Culinary Hub designed to give local chefs the space they need to bring ideas to life. Commercial kitchen access is hard to come by, but we’re changing that,” said CHP CEO Renee Dobos in a recent Facebook post.
This incubator kitchen is designed to give local food service entrepeneurs the space and support they need to develop recipes, grow their craft, and bring their food to the community through farmers markets, pop-ups, or wherever their passion takes them, she added.
“We’re so excited that we are going to be able to provide some workforce development for people who want to enter the food service industry, whether that be a chef, learn serve safe certification, knife skills, how to elevate the recipes,” Dobos said. “We will be partnering with a Pinch of Salt and Chef Raquel (Rivera) to help us mentor these chefs so they have success in their future endeavors.”
Chef Raquel’s private chef service and culinary in-home classes has brought excitement to people in Connecticut and New York City.
“What I love about CHP is that they are not only about affordable housing,” Chef Raquel said in a CHP Facebook post interview. “They are so built into the community, which is something I obviously I find myself quite passionate about. So here we are going to make those connections happening by cooking in the kitchen while also figuring out to get into the community to spread the word about what we are doing here.”
Trained at the Institute of Culinary Education and seasoned by experiences from Le Bernardin to the White House, she now shares her expertise through classes, mentorship, and community initiatives across Connecticut and New York.
