A House Good Enough to Eat

Young Chefs Build Life-Sized Gingerbread House

Every year the Fairmont Hotel builds a two-story, life-sized ginger bread house inside the grand lobby to celebrate the holiday season.  For the past two years, Primed and Prepped students have helped decorate this edible creation with over 1,650 pounds of candy and 3,300 pounds of royal icing! 

Primed and Prepped, an after-school program out of the Bayview Hunters Point YMCA, provides students with essential hospitality and culinary skills.  Primed and Prepped breaks down employment barriers and gives students a safe space to hone their leadership skills.  It is a gateway to higher education and entry level jobs and prepares students for positions such as bus boys, dishwashers, line and prep cooks.  This unique collaboration with the Fairmont Hotel gave students a paid job and an opportunity to participate in a project with one of the major luxury hotels in San Francisco. 

Top: Primed & Prepped student Angel Chavez, past Fairmont Hotel intern

Bottom: Primed & Prepped student Chyna Davis, Whole Foods intern

From left to right: Executive Chef Oscar Gonzalez, Pastry Chef Kate Schroeder, Khyree Tagaloa, Elanna Lynch, Angel Chavez, Chyna Davis, Jaysen Lee and Janiyya Walls (not pictured).  

Thank you to everyone at the Fairmont Hotel who made this possible!  Michele Gaul (Regional Director of Human Resources and Primed & Prepped Advisory Board Member), Emma Curtis (Chef Assistant), Debbie Kuo (Talent & Culture Manager), Kate Schroeder (Pastry Chef) and Executive Chef Oscar Gonzalez.