Woodlands Residents Open Young Chefs® Academy a Unique and Premier Children's Cooking School

THE WOODLANDS, TX - Children of all ages can now immerse themselves in the world of cooking with the opening the Young Chefs Academy, the nation’s original children’s cooking franchise, in The Woodlands.

Elizabeth and Chris McKelvey, who were both raised in The Woodlands and now make it their home, own and operate the new franchised location and look forward to exposing kids to the world of culinary creations.

'Our career paths changed as a result of the pandemic,' said Chris. 'We knew we wanted to do something positive for the community and love kids, so we decided to open Young Chefs Academy to bring the joy of cooking to children.'

Young Chefs Academy is the country’s leading children’s cooking school, which has captivated the creativity of children across U.S. communities for more than a decade. Local Montgomery County parents will now be able to obtain top-notch culinary instruction for their children, as well as participate in adult cooking classes through the Young Chefs at Heart program. Focused on providing a nurturing hands-on environment for children to learn valuable culinary skills, Young Chefs Academy inspires its students to develop a lifelong love of cooking, while cultivating their creativity through experimentation and education in the kitchen.

'We're thrilled about being able to help children appreciate cooking and provide them with an interactive, hands-on opportunity to learn various ways to prepare meals,' said Elizabeth. 'The cooking classes allow children to exercise their creativity and satisfy their natural curiosity about the foods we eat and how to prepare them.'

Young Chefs Academy caters to children of all ages. Chefs ages 7 and above start in the Junior Chef program while younger chefs from 4-7 years old join the Kinder Cooks program. All classes are $35 per session. Kinder Cooks classes are 60 minutes, while Junior Chefs classes are 90 minutes. Memberships are available for $109 per month, which include one class per week and participation in the Master Chef program.

The Young Chefs® Academy MasterChef™ Program is a unique opportunity for Junior & Senior Chefs Club Members who are serious about cooking and interested in mastering the basic culinary skills and techniques needed to embark on a lifelong love of cooking. Members who are enrolled in the MasterChef™ Program will earn patches to proudly display on their chef jacket uniform by simply participating in weekly classes and mastering knowledge assessments. Each level of the program is designed to help each member achieve the honor of wearing the elite black chef jacket and becoming a YCA certified MasterChef™.

The McKelvey’s teach classes along with their team of fun and energetic team members who love to cook and love spending time with children. In addition to their regular classes, the premiere school offers birthday parties and holiday-themed workshops, including gingerbread house workshops and more.

'We will also be offering Summer Camps all summer long,' said Elizabeth. 'These are four-day camps that deliver an immersive culinary adventure where kids explore different cuisines, focusing on core techniques, empowering budding chefs to grow in their knowledge of the culinary arts and self-confidence.'

Young Chefs Academy is located at 2520 Research Forest Dr. suite 475 and is open Weekdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. On Saturdays and Sundays, classes and activities are by appointment only. Grand Opening celebration plans are underway with a free, come-and-go event which will be offering the children of Montgomery County the opportunity to explore and sharpen their inner epicure. With plenty of hands-on culinary stations for all ages, activities will range from creating homemade pasta to testing their decorating skills to create tasty treats.

To learn more and register for upcoming classes and workshops, visit www.thewoodlandstx.youngchefsacademy.com.

About Young Chefs Academy

Young Chefs Academy, based in Waco, Texas, is the leading national cooking school franchise for children with more than 30 locations in seven countries. Its mission is to provide an interactive learning experience that gives children the opportunity to learn food preparation skills and develop a lifelong love for culinary arts. Young Chefs Academy empowers children and teens to get involved in the kitchen where they are learning how to make nutrient-rich dishes with less artificial ingredients, in turn promoting healthy eating and family bonding. Learn more at www.youngchefsacademy.com.