As an Introduction to the IEG we have set out a series of Frequently Asked Questions with their answers as a simple way to explain the concept, plans and strategy.

Booking catalogue and custom courses
Building
Chefs - famous
Children
CIA
Corporate Off-sites and Amateur/enthusiasts courses
Corporate Structure
Cost
Course content
Course length
Courses
Dates
Denominations of Origin (DOs)
Economics
Entry requirements
Facilities
Instructors
Location
Management
Not a cooking school.
Overview
Professional offering
Public entry
Residential
Seniors
Sponsors
The idea
Wine

Overview

What is the Instituto Español de Gastronomía? The “IEG”?

The Instituto Español de Gastronomía, the IEG, whose campus will open during June 2009, will provide professional level residential courses and tuition within a graduate school environment set in a beautiful XVIIth century seminary that is now being renovated in Sigüenza, Castilla La Mancha in central Spain, one hour North East of Madrid.

The IEG will provide continuing education opportunities and career development programmes in food, wine and nutrition. The courses will include food industry studies, such as custom programmes and flavour and menu development. Educational catalogue courses will range from foundation and more advanced studies to the longer Spanish and Mediterranean culinary immersion courses, training in the culinary arts, baking and pastry arts, nutrition and sanitation – healthy food, foodservice management and professional wine studies.

Serious amateurs and enthusiasts, who will be welcome to come to the IEG in resident groups, will also have courses created for their skill levels in a separate area of the IEG. Further groups of children and seniors will have programmes created with a special focus on nutrition and health and also the enjoyment of good food and will work in a custom designed space.

The IEG management team is working with the Culinary Institute of America, the global reference in the culinary and gastronomic arts sector, to develop programmes for the IEG to optimise the curriculum, processes and facilities based on their successful model. It is anticipated that a large part of the teaching faculty will have been trained at the CIA and the faculty will also benefit from a CIA seconded Director of Education.

Along with new, state of the art facilities, a highly trained faculty and a big selection of innovative year-round programmes, the IEG will host public cooking demonstrations, special events and seminars.

The IEG will also act as a central reference point for the Mediterranean diet and will maintain a data and research centre for Denominations of Origin and other products that make up the Mediterranean cuisine. The focus at the IEG will be on healthy, enjoyable and nutritious eating and the course work offered will be varied and comprehensive.

Visitors to the IEG in Sigüenza will be able to eat either at the Fine Dining Restaurant or its more casual sister restaurant and shop for cookware and cooking wear, books, culinary tools and specialty food products and walk through the beautiful cloisters.

Not a cooking school.

Are you just another cooking school?

In Europe and in Spain there are currently many excellent culinary arts and hotel management schools training young people who wish to follow a career in the food and hospitality sector. This is not what the IEG is founded to do - the IEG is focused on a higher level of tuition, offering top quality ‘master class’ level teaching for professional chefs and for individuals and groups employed in the food services sector whose demands are specialised. There is also a separate provision made for enthusiasts and groups including corporate off-sites and team building events.

The facilities at the IEG are designed with this level of teaching in mind and include a hot kitchen with up to 32 stations, a bakery/patisserie kitchen with a further 32 stations, labs, a chocolate room, family meal for 60 together with outside kitchen with pit, tandoori and grill, workshop/classrooms and specialised food and wine auditoria.

The IEG also provides a central reference point in Spain dedicated to all areas of gastronomy. The educational spaces within the centre will be enhanced by cultural activities such as an events space and theatre, a library and a research centre.

Professional offering 

Courses

Who are the courses designed for?

The professional educational centre will offer a variety of catalogue courses covering all areas of the culinary arts aimed at professionals already working in the sector who want to specialise in or improve certain techniques or learn about new flavours and methods.

An important part of the activity of the educational centre will be courses offered to employees and clients of the food services industry which will be custom-made in collaboration with the corporate sponsors to suit their specific needs. For instance, the IEG could help a multinational food services company in the design and execution of a large part of its in-house training programme, internal product launch and client offerings.

Course content 

What will the courses look like?

The catalogue courses will be under a number of headings and are for professionals. A large number of catalogue choices  will be rotated within the year with the more popular and important subjects appearing more frequently. Custom course work will be designed with IEG chefs and the client and will be designed to include client products, personnel and style.

• Flavour discovery/techniques – this group will include subjects under the general food types, recipes, how to’s headings.
• Regional traditions – this includes the specific Spain and Mediterranean courses which will also have special 10 day immersion sessions. The regions of Spain will be focused on and each will have a course or courses to concentrate on local products, cheeses, wine, techniques and culture.
• Signature cooking -  well known and admired chefs, either in person or using specially prepared  DVDs will create unique courses.
• Baking and pastry – with region and technique as the core focus. Baking is an important component of the Mediterranean cuisine as are the many pastries and regional specialities.
• Wine – this will be a very important  part of a  number of courses where regional interest is a key. There will be specialist programmes created around particular areas, types and international comparison courses will also be included.
• Management – restaurant and kitchen management, portion management and product efficiency are very necessary skills and these courses will be structured for various levels of experience.
• Nutrition and sanitation – the nutritional aspects of food, the importance of techniques and content, of menu selection and balance as well as the healthy process within a kitchen and its maintenance. Significant attention will be paid to these important areas.

Course length

How long will these courses last?

For the professional market, whether working chefs or people employed in food services companies, the courses will be from two to five days. The idea is that working professionals can combine this training with busy schedules. There will be longer Spanish and Mediterranean courses for immersion in the region’s skills, flavours and techniques and these will be offered to individuals and groups.

Residential 

Are these courses residential?

The campus will include hotel quality residential facilities for course participants and organised groups.

Wine

Will there be specific wine courses?

The Wine Instructor will conduct programmes of between two and four days as well as longer courses that will entail travel to the regions for tastings and technique focus. Many of the culinary courses will also contain wine matching and skills as will, of course the Spanish and Mediterranean immersion programmes.

Instructors

Who will teach these courses?

The centre will employ leading chef-instructors from within Spain and from abroad. The Director of Education will be seconded from the Culinary Institute of America and the initial senior teaching staff will have CIA training.

Facilities

What are the facilities offered by the IEG for professionals?

Among the facilities the following are the key components - all being contiguous and supplied with full connections and equipment.

• Hot kitchen for up to 32 running a.m. and p.m. shifts
• Bakery kitchen for up to 32 with similar shifts
• Family meal for up to 60
• Outside kitchen – tandoori, pit and grill
• Outside family meal area (this can be used for corporate events)
• Food lab
• 2 faculty rooms for small tutorial sessions etc
• Faculty and administration offices
• Extensive two floor automated storage areas – essential to a well ordered operation
• The professional area has 32 bedrooms with bath and shower
• Recreation room
• Admissions and administration
• Sanatorium
• Sports facilities
• Theatre
• Wine auditorium
• Food auditorium
• Library
• Three fully fitted and connected workshop/classrooms
• Computer lab
• DO data room
• Language lab

Cost

How much will the courses cost?

Prices for catalogue courses will vary according to course subject matter and length. The important issue is what will be taught and by whom. These courses will be designed and presented by highly qualified professional chef-instructors.  Courses will be priced between €250 and €400 per day excluding residential costs but including all produce and ingredients necessary to the coursework.

Booking catalogue and custom courses

How do I find the programme offerings or arrange a custom course?

As soon as the coursework has been fully designed (with the help of the CIA) the available programmes and classes will be presented on the IEG website and will be made available on a first come first served basis. Groups will be given special treatment and popular courses will be expanded to fill demand. Custom work will normally use the morning shift allowing the catalogue classes to work in the classrooms while the custom teams prepare lunch – which is then served in the family meal area. Classes will start at around 6.30 a.m. and the second shift will finish by approximately 7.30 p.m.

Entry requirements

Do I need to have any qualification or experience to apply for a catalogue course?

Though specific qualification will not be required certain levels of skill and experience will be necessary and will need to be exhibited or documented as the level of teaching and coursework will assume a relatively high level of competence in a kitchen environment. For the wine specific courses certain programmes will require higher levels of prior knowledge than others.

CIA

What exactly is the involvement with the CIA?

The CIA, which recently celebrated its 60th anniversary, is probably the most respected culinary teaching establishment in the World. The IEG management team is working with the Culinary Institute of America, the global reference in the culinary and gastronomic arts sector, to develop programmes for the IEG to optimise the curriculum, processes and facilities based on their successful model. It is anticipated that a large part of the teaching faculty will have been trained at the CIA and the faculty will also benefit from a CIA seconded Director of Education.

Corporate Off-sites and Amateur/enthusiasts courses 

What about the amateur audience, is there a programme for this group?

These days many companies are looking for alternative and more creative participative activities for corporate offsite events. The IEG’s specially designed courses offer an extremely interesting opportunity for strengthening teams and building staff loyalty.

These courses for food enthusiast groups (individuals will, in general, not be able to register though exceptions will be made if space is available) will be taught by leading chef-instructors. The concentrated programs allow the amateur chef the opportunity to master new skills and techniques in wine and food in a somewhat relaxed environment.

The installations have been specially designed to cater for these groups with a high quality residential area (which is entered by a separate and discrete entrance) consisting of bedroom suites, a private recreational area and bar and fully equipped business centre. In addition to state of the art teaching facilities, private dining room, demonstration theatre and wine auditorium, the IEG will also have workshops/classrooms equipped for presentations and business activities making the seminary an ideal venue for corporate sponsored events.

Children

Seniors

What other audiences is the IEG directed at?

The IEG will focus strongly on nutritional issues and will run courses designed for the participation of children and for older people. There will be specific installations equipped with teaching facilities aimed at these specialist audiences. Healthy eating will be the Institute’s mission in both its teaching and research activities 

Denominations of Origin (DOs)

Will local products have a focus?

The IEG is also positioning itself as the centre of reference for the study and documentation of products many of which come under the various Denominations of Origin and which are fundamental to the makeup of the Mediterranean diet. In this way the IEG aims to become a permanent platform for the exchange of ideas, products and techniques for all those involved in the food production and services industry in Europe.

Public entry

Will the centre be open to the general public and will there be areas of interest for visitors?

The IEG aims to become one of the major destinations of choice in the region. Visitors will be able to come to the seminary and walk around enjoying the exciting and bustling atmosphere as well as the majestic building and its grounds. They will be able to view the classes in action, visit the shops selling books, food, cookware and cookwear, eat at either the fine dining or the casual restaurant and enjoy the various gastronomic exhibits and demonstrations. Visitors will be charged a small entrance fee.

The idea

What is the inspiration for the IEG?

The business model for the IEG has been based largely on the CIA’s successful West Coast model which concentrates heavily on continuing education and supplying solutions for the food service industry. The Greystone campus [click through to Greystone site] in the wonderful Napa Valley in California is a similar size and provides a wonderful destination for visitors as well as a highly respected school for professionals and company employees and management.

Management 

Who is behind the project?

The project has been founded - and is being managed - by two promoters, Nuria Goytre, a financial and investment analyst and James Macmillan-Scott, an investment banker.

In addition to Nuria and James are two further team members: Lourdes Plana, gastronomy sector expert and founder of the important international gastronomic forum Madrid-Fusión and Victoria Matthews, a business communications consultant. A number of Advisors and Consultants have been retained by the IEG for technical and professional services.

There is also a group of Senior Associates who have been instrumental in helping the management team work through the many issues the IEG has been presented with and these include Clara Maria González de Amezúa, José Carlos Capel (who also founded Madrid Fusión) and José Andrés (who is also Chairman, Spanish Culinary Arts for the IEG).
 [click through to bios of management and Senior Advisors attached]

Chefs - famous

Are you linked to any famous chefs?

The promoters are in frequent contact with many chefs and industry experts both from Spain and abroad who have been generous with their support and advice for the IEG. The list is long but would include José Andrés, who is working closely with the IEG, Ferrán Adriá, José Maria Arzak, Martin Berasategui, Dan Barber, organic pioneer from the US, Mark Furstenberg, master baker from the US, Enrique Pérez who is the IEG’s local friend, as well as, of course, the CIA Master Chefs.

Corporate Structure

Is the IEG a commercial business?

The IEG is structured in two parts – the most important and visible part of the IEG is based in a Spanish Fundación, a Not-For-Profit organisation and operates the school and all the teaching and professional activities. The shops and basic commercial activities such as the restaurants on site operate within normal commercial businesses though 20% of their profits are passed to the IEG Fundación in the form of an endowment to support the professional activities of the school.                                            

Economics

How is the project being financed?

The project, which is expected to provide significant long term employment in Sigüenza and the region, is a private business initiative with initial and development funding from the founders and is counting on sponsorship and funding from the private sector. The project also has the full support of the Government investment agency INTERES and of the local regional government of Castilla-La Mancha.

José María Barreda, president of the regional government of Castilla-LaMancha said:

“this project offers endless possibilities for Sigüenza, Guadalajara, Castilla-La Mancha and the whole of Spain”

The regional government’s minister of Industry, José Manuel Díaz-Salazar stated:

”this is a clean and sustainable business which will bring important social and economic benefits to the region”

Rafael Cabanillas, regional head of tourism, added:

“the project will enhance the current tourism offer in the region as well as promoting our gastronomy and wine”

Location

Why Siguenza as the location?

Sigüenza is a beautiful medieval City in the Castilla-La Mancha region of central Spain and very well connected to major urban centres – it is  just 120 km from central Madrid and 190 km from Zaragoza on the main A2 and R2 highways. Together with easy road access, regular trains serve the City and Madrid International airport is just one hour away.

Sigüenza has a dynamic population and many thriving intellectual, artistic and cultural activities. The city provides support to many local villages and also a great number of visitors and tourists who come to see the wealth of culture and the countryside.

All these factors together with the opportunity to utilise the former seminary gave rise to the ideal location for the IEG’s campus.

Building

How much space will you have in the Seminary?

We have around 14,000m² of internal built out space in Phase I of the IEG.

How long do you expect the renovation to take?

Planning for the Seminary, home to the IEG, began in the Summer of 2006 when the Bishop of Sigüenza and Guadalajara welcomed the foundation of the Institute and made it possible. The major physical work began in March 2007 and the renovation is expected to last until June 2008.

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Sponsors

Who are the corporate sponsors supporting the IEG?

The list of corporate and institutional sponsors will be released at the time of or just prior to the opening of the IEG in June 2009.

Dates

When will the centre be operational?

Course programmes will be posted towards the end of 2008 for bookings for the 2008 programmes.

Visitors will be invited to come to the IEG from June 2009 and study courses will begin at the same time.