Tom Douglas Restaurants has announced that Bridget Charters has joined the team to guide the development of their new cooking school at the Hotel Ändra.
As a chef instructor for the Art Institute for 17 years and a production manager for Emmy winning Nick Stellino’s Family Kitchen on PBS affiliate KCTS, Charters has been a fixture in the Seattle food scene. In addition to her work in Seattle, her passion for food has led her to extensive work abroad in Italy as well as acting as culinary producer for the Aspen, New York and Miami Food & Wine Festivals.
“Bridget’s energy, passion and professional past guarantees that we are going to have a rocking good time while we are learning new skills,” says CEO/CVO, Pamela Hinckley.
Hot Stove Society will be a food lover’s learning destination offering wide ranging culinary and lifestyle programming. The curriculum will include social and technical classes that appeal to entry level enthusiasts as well as sophisticated food devotees. Tom Douglas restaurant chefs will provide a backbone of instruction, but programming will also draw on other local and national talent to build an enticing calendar of events. The preliminary class schedule is due out at the end of March.
Construction is under way. The school is on the east side of the hotel on the second floor. It features a demonstration stage, excellent audio visual equipment and spacious hands on work stations. The entrance to the school is fronted by an intimate, yet to be named cocktail lounge that will be open to hotel guests as well as the public. Anticipated opening date is the first week of June.
Hotel Ändra located at 2000 4th Avenue in downtown Seattle, is an enthusiastic partner in the development of the school and is redesigning their event space to accommodate increased activities related to the space and to draw more private dining occasions.
Tom Douglas Restaurants operates numerous successful and diverse Seattle restaurants and businesses employing over 800 employees. From a bustling beer hall, to an intimate fine dining experience, to an urban grocery store, to a grand scale catering operation, the company has done it all under the guiding light of the mission statement, “Deliciousness served with graciousness”.http://www.tomdouglas.com/