An Interview with Scott “Chef Dad” Noye
In this post, I’m delighted to introduce my friend Scott Noye, the owner and head instructor of Chef Dad’s Table—a culinary program offering hands-on vocational, food service, and family and consumer science education for children and adults.
I first connected with Scott while exploring our local food community, and it didn’t take long to see how deeply he cares about teaching, creativity, and connection through food. Since then, he’s been a generous source of encouragement and inspiration as I continue to pursue my own creative work.
I recently had the chance to ask Scott a few questions about Chef Dad’s Table, and his responses were thoughtful and energizing. I’m excited to share them with you. To learn more about his work, visit https://www.chefdadstable.com.
And now—onto the interview.
Q: What inspired you to start teaching kids how to cook?
I always wanted to be a teacher. My father convinced me to select another profession. Ironically, both my parents ended their careers as teachers! When I was laid off from my job after 26 years, I took some time to reevaluate my future and developed the concept of Chef Dad’s Table. I love seeing children and others showing an interest in and enjoying cooking and working with food. Sharing my knowledge and helping others learn and develop a passion for food and kitchen life skills was the impetus.
Q: What do you think kids learn in the kitchen that they don’t always learn elsewhere?
Oh wow…there is so much that the students learn in our kitchens. I think they learn differently in this type of environment. First off, there is instant gratification…we eat great food at the end of class. That’s a true motivator for everyone to listen closely and follow directions and watch my demonstration. Many of the tasks we tackle in class can’t be done alone. Teamwork is paramount and everyone takes part.
Q: How do you choose recipes? How do you accommodate allergies and dietary needs?
Some of our recipes have become tried and true favorites and are requested repeatedly. Many are new. We try to keep up to date with the current food trends appearing on the scene. I follow along on social media and see the latest viral videos. We incorporate a lot of these into our programming. In fact, we are offering a class based on “Viral Tik Tok Food Trends”.
We try to accommodate all the common food allergies and dietary restrictions. We discuss with families’ alternatives and substitutions and often rewrite our recipes that are acceptable.
Q: How do you design a class that’s both educational and genuinely fun?
Creating a curriculum that is educational, fun, and tasty takes a bit of thinking. You want it to be a learning experience balanced with hands-on participation that is engaging and age appropriate. We look at recipes from cookbooks, websites online, magazines, social media and then we tweak them to fit our needs. Sometimes the class revolves around holidays and special dates on the calendar, often it’s about culture and cuisine or new trends.
Q: What’s the first skill you love teaching beginners, and why that one?
At the beginning of all our class sessions we focus and emphasize understanding how important our Five Senses are. Listening and watching, tasting, smelling, and touching are all so valuable in the kitchen environment.
Q: When things go wrong—spills, burnt food, or frustrated kids—how do you handle it?
Ah…as long as there is no blood, we’re good! Spills, burnt food, or food that doesn’t come out as planned, we can solve these issues relatively easily. Accidents happen, mistakes happen, no worries. Do the kids get frustrated? Sure, at times, often it has nothing to do with the recipe or the result. A lot of the time it is because they must wait their turn or share…normal kid stuff. Do we get shmooshed eggs with shells instead of a nicely cracked egg? Yes! Is it frustrating? Yes! So we take a deep breath, back up a bit, discuss what happened, and try it again.
Q: Can you share a moment or feedback that made you think, “This is why this program matters”?
When I arrive at some of our group homes for our cooking and kitchen life skills class, the residents are waiting for me at the front door. We hug and high five. They are smiling from cheek to cheek.
Q: What’s the proudest dish you’ve seen a child make?
Watching their faces as we take a freshly baked loaf of bread out of the oven always creates a lot of “ohhhs and ahhhs”. Going through the steps of growing the yeast and then watching the dough rise and then culminating with a beautiful and tasty masterpiece is priceless!
Q: What’s the messiest class you’ve taught?
Ha! Anything with sprinkles, jimmies, and edible glitter!!!
Q: If a child leaves your class loving just one thing about cooking, what do you hope it is?
I hope they feel a sense of accomplishment, and it boosts their self-confidence and self-esteem.
Q: How has the program evolved since it began?
Well, when we first began, we only worked with elementary and middle school aged children. Now, we work with toddlers all the way through senior citizens, and we work with all abilities as well with special attention and emphasis for those children and adults with disabilities.
Q: Are there any dream classes or collaborations you’d love to explore?
I would like to travel more and partake in cooking classes and workshops and seminars globally. Both for my own enjoyment and to bring back new knowledge to share.
Q: If you had to describe this program in one sensory moment—a smell, sound, or taste—what would it be?
I don’t think it would be something sensory, but the emoji I would best associate with our organization is a big sunshine with a smile on its face.
