CTC culinary program delivers award-winning soup and service
Kari Halverson
907-455-2833
Jan. 28, 2025
CTC culinary arts and hospitality program students, faculty and staff gather at the Westmark Fairbanks Hotel after earning the Golden Ladle at the Bread Line’s 2025 Soup Off event.
The ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ Community and Technical College’s culinary arts and hospitality program scooped up the Golden Ladle at the 2025 Soup Off, claiming top honors in the annual fundraiser for Bread Line, a Fairbanks nonprofit dedicated to fighting hunger. The annual event, which drew its largest crowd to date, featured 19 restaurants and culinary teams competing with a variety of soups.
Under the leadership of associate professor and program Chair Sean Walklin, the CTC team served up a chicken soup with homemade pasta, earning the coveted Golden Ladle from the judges. The panel included local chefs and community leaders. Culinary students played an important role in preparing and serving the soup, gaining valuable experience while supporting the community.
The Soup Off raises funds for Bread Line’s programs, which include the Stone Soup Café, Stone’s Throw culinary job training program, Kid’s Café youth volunteering initiative and the Stone Soup Community Garden.
CTC has been a regular participant in the Soup Off, placing second in the judges' voting and sharing the People’s Choice Award with Aurora Mediterranean Restaurant in 2024. The culinary arts and hospitality program’s faculty and students often volunteer to run the morning meal service to provide a break for the Bread Line’s chef.
Students in the CTC culinary arts and hospitality program prepare to serve guests at the Hutchison Institute of Technology during their final Borealis Bistro event of 2024.
The program's community involvement doesn’t stop at the Soup Off. CTC culinary students,
faculty and staff also participate in events like the City Sampler, which supports
the Fairbanks Resource Agency, and the Breast Cancer Detection Center’s annual gala,
promoting breast cancer awareness and screening.
“Hospitality and food service is a cornerstone of any community, and we love being
a part of it," Walklin said.
As spring approaches, the program operates the Borealis Bistro, a student-run lunch service at Hutchison Institute of Technology. Students rotate through all restaurant operations, learning under the mentorship of professional chefs. The bistro offers themed weekly menus at a set price and is known to sell out quickly. It reopens for the spring semester on Feb. 27, serving lunch most Thursdays through April 10.
The CTC culinary arts and hospitality food truck serves customers at HooDoo brewery on Sept. 12, 2024.
This summer, CTC’s food truck will resume operation, offering students more opportunities to gain experience in a mobile food service setting while serving lunch at various locations around Fairbanks. The program also participates in UAF’s Summer Sessions, hosting culinary arts camps for children throughout the summer with UAF Summer Sessions. Led by Walklin and held in the CTC kitchen, these half-day, weeklong camps teach students in grades 2-12 essential kitchen skills, safety practices and cooking techniques. Camps like Rising Chef, Fun with Food and Baking Blitz encourage creativity in the kitchen while giving kids hands-on experience. Winter sessions are also occasionally offered.
Each fall, CTC partners with the ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ Railroad and HooDoo Brewing Co. for the HooDoo Choo Choo event — a unique train ride from Fairbanks to Nenana featuring German-inspired cuisine prepared by students. The event provides experience in catering large-scale events in a unique setting and raises funds for the program.
For more information about the program and upcoming events, visit.