Culinary Center Intern

Pay: $24/hr

Position Duration: May 2027 – July 2027

Position Location: Arden Hills, MN

Position Summary

The Culinary Center Intern will engage in a structured 11-week program designed to build foundational culinary skills and contribute to strategic projects in recipe development, sales enablement, content creation, and innovation. This internship offers hands-on experience, mentorship, and exposure to cross-functional collaboration within a dynamic food-focused environment.

Program Overview

This immersive experience is designed to build foundational culinary and professional skills through a series of structured, hands-on projects. The program begins with an in-depth orientation and guided recipe development project, giving the intern a strong base in culinary research, kitchen execution, and technical collaboration. This foundational week sets the stage for the remainder of the internship, which is divided into three key project phases.

In Weeks 2 through 10, the intern will rotate through focused projects in sales enablement, content development, and innovation. Each phase begins with a deep dive led by the Culinary Manager, offering strategic context and mentorship. Interns will contribute to real business needs—developing tools for sales teams, crafting culinary content, and exploring new product ideas. The final week culminates in a share-out presentation, where the intern will showcase their work and reflect on their growth. This program is ideal for students eager to apply their culinary knowledge in a collaborative, fast-paced environment.

Required Qualifications

• Pursuing a degree in Culinary Arts, Food Science, Nutrition, or closely related field

• Completion of at least one year of undergraduate coursework by Summer 2027

• Experience in a kitchen, lab, or foodservice setting (academic or professional)

• Passion for cooking, food, and flavors

• Strong background with hands-on experience in basic culinary and cooking methods

• Strong organizational and time management skills

• Clear written and verbal communication

• Collaborative mindset and willingness to learn

• Ability and desire to taste, critique, and provide honest feedback on a variety of foodservice and retail products, recipes and ingredients throughout the workday

Preferred Qualifications

• ServSafe certification

• Experience working in a foodservice establishment kitchen

• Experience in preparing or testing recipes

• Experience with food photography and video

• Understand the safe operation procedures of standard food service equipment