Institute of Culinary Education and Wagyu Sommelier Expand Partnership for 2026 Certifications
News related to:The Institute of Culinary Education · 1 min read
NEW YORK, Oct. 1, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- The Institute of Culinary Education and Wagyu Sommelier have announced an expanded partnership for 2026, marking the second annual certification training. This year, the training will make its debut in New York at the Institute of Culinary Education's Brookfield Place campus from October 26-28, following its return to the Los Angeles campus for the second year, which will take place from October 19-21.
The partnership, which centers around both organizations' commitment to culinary education and quality ingredients, will offer expanded education on Japanese Wagyu quality, traceability, nutritional benefits, sourcing, and heritage. Attendees will also receive hands-on training in butchery and whole-animal usage. A new feature for this year is the inclusion of expanded training for front-of-the-house teams, in addition to hands-on cooking and chef demonstrations.
The Institute of Culinary Education, established in 1975 and ranked as the "#1 Culinary School in America" by USA Today in 2019, will select approximately 35 students from its cohorts to participate in the new certification at no additional cost. The Institute is also working with the Wagyu Sommelier program to handpick culinary and hospitality speakers and attendees to receive the training at no cost. The selection process is led by Mishel LeDoux, Director of Hospitality and Management Programs for the Institute's Los Angeles campus, and Senior Vice President of Culinary Operations, Barry Tonkinson in New York.
Founded in 2020, Wagyu Sommelier Trading is the only dedicated importer of single-farm, whole-animal, rare-herd, and long-vintage Japanese Wagyu beef in the United States. As both an educator and wholesaler, WST bridges the American butchery gap, supplying beef sourced directly from independent Japanese farms and demystifying the high-value, under-exposed cuts beyond the loin. The Level 1 and Level 2 Wagyu Sommelier certifications are the only certificate courses of their kind in the United States, offering culinary students and chef-attendees the unique opportunity to work hands-on with the product under the direct tutelage of master butchers from Japan.