From an early age Chef Terrence’s love of cooking was nurtured in his aunt’s and mother's kitchens. On a recent Wednesday afternoon he shared some of the lessons learned with students from the Red Bank Regional High School Culinary Arts Program. The aspiring chefs came to the JBJ Soul Kitchen to volunteer their services and get some hands on restaurant experience. Chef Terrence guided them through the preparation of the JBJ Soul Kitchen’s menu, showing them technical and practical applications of their training.
Chef Terrence came to JBJ Soul Kitchen through our pilot program in October 2010. As the head chef at LunchBreak, where we ran our second pilot program, he was interested in what the JBJ Soul Kitchen had to offer and volunteered his time and expertise during our time there.
When the pilot program ended and JBJ Soul Kitchen was able to open its own space, it was evident that Terrence would be a valuable addition to the Soul Kitchen team.
Having worked in many restaurants over the years, Terrence entered the Culinary Jobs Training Program through the Monmouth County Foodbank. He graduated and received his diploma in the Culinary Arts as well as certification for Servsafe, which trains chefs in proper food handling protocols. Job Readiness Coordinator, Jason Twomey reflects on Terrence’s commitment as a student of the program “The thing that impressed me the most was the way he talked about his future, the absolute certainty of success in his future if he stayed on his current path, if he kept at it. You see it very rarely, that type of drive. I knew when I saw it, that Terrence would be someone to do something with himself, and soon.” As a shining example of the program, he was asked to speak at the November Culinary Jobs Skills graduation.
Today, he continues his education and is currently enrolled in the Certified Culinary Program through the American Culinary Federation. Chef Ray, who runs the program at the FoodBank speaks highly of Terrence as “a humble person, who is willing to learn to improve his skills and takes opportunities for advancement.” Terrence was recently surprised and honored at The 2011 Jersey Shore Chef Association Dinner and was awarded “Member of the Year”.
Anyone who gets to enjoy his cooking can taste the love and passion that Terrence puts in each dish.
