Beyond the Plate: Alumni Immersion In Boulder, Colorado

Step back into the Escoffier experience with a three-day alumni immersion trip designed to reignite your passion, deepen your purpose, and reconnect you with a thriving culinary community. Set against the inspiring backdrop of Boulder, Colorado, this curated journey blends hands-on learning, meaningful dialogue, and immersive farm-to-table exploration. From a warm welcome reception and chef-led demos to collaborative culinary classes and a behind-the-scenes farm experience, every moment is crafted to ground you in the values that first brought you to Escoffier—community, sustainability, and purpose. Whether you're tasting your way through seasonal ingredients, reconnecting with faculty and fellow grads, or reflecting on how far you’ve come, this trip is more than a return—it’s a celebration of where you’re headed next.

*Alumni will receive a certificate of participation.

Travel Details: Alumni are responsible for their own transportation and lodging.

Theme: Welcome to Boulder – Grounding in Community and Purpose

All Day: Alumni arrivals

5:30 PM – 7:30 PM: Welcome Reception at Escoffier Boulder Campus

• Welcome Remarks by Campus President | Provost
• “Savoring the Journey”: Kickoff Presentation by faculty farm to table ambassador
• Light farm-to-table hors d'oeuvres and local beverages served
• Mixer & Meet-and-Greet with faculty and fellow grads

Theme: Inspiration Through Experience

8:30 AM – 10:00 AM: On-Campus Guest Chef Demonstration – “Cooking the Seasons: From Soil to Plate”

• Featuring Local Farm to Table Chef
• Live cooking demo focused on hyper-local seasonal ingredients
• Tasting session with Q&A on sourcing, sustainability, and menu design

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Brunch on Campus

• Buffet featuring recipes from the morning demo

11:30 – 1:00 PM: Building the Pipeline

• Alumni networking with current students to begin building a pipeline of future cooks for your establishment.

1:00 – 3:00 PM: Career Services Engagement

• Presentation on the State of the Industry from an employment and hiring perspective

3:30 PM – 5:30 PM: Free Time or Optional Boulder Foodie Walk on Pearl Street (self-guided)

6:30 PM – 8:30 PM: Chef’s Table Dinner at Local Farm-to-Table Restaurant

• TBD: Blackbelly Market or Bramble & Hare
• Multi-course seasonal tasting menu with wine pairings
• Chef Talk: “Crafting Culinary Identity Through Local Ingredients”

Theme: Connection to the Source

9:00 AM – 10:15 AM: Morning Lecture – “Soil to Service: The Culinary Role in Sustainable Agriculture”

• Led by a sustainability specialist or an agricultural Chef educator
• Interactive discussion with local growers invited

10:30 AM – 1:30 PM: Farm Visit & Immersive Experience

• Partner Farm: Cure Organic Farm
• Activities Include:
• Seasonal harvesting and planting
• Composting and regenerative farming practices
• Communal Farm Lunch
• Prepared collaboratively with alumni and Farm Chef

3:00 PM - 4:30 PM: Farewell Engagement – “Harvesting the Experience: From Passion to Practice”

• Participant reflections and discussion circle on culinary takeaways
• Guided journaling or vision-boarding session
• Certificate of Completion recognition

• Free Evening/Option to Depart

• Check-out and Departures

Who Can Attend: Escoffier Alumni

Travel Details:

• Alumni are responsible for their own transportation and lodging.

Refund Policy:

• Refunds up to 14 days before the event
• Qualified Refunds include Event Ticket Fee only
• Personal Travel, Lodging, and related costs are not refundable
• Eventbrite's fee is nonrefundable.

For questions about this event, please reach out to Kirk Bachmann at [email protected]

This event does not lead to academic credit is not associated with Boulder program offerings. Alumni participating in on-campus and off-campus school sponsored events are reminded to follow the Code of Conduct Policy, as located in the school catalog.

Host or Publisher Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts