The Technical College of the Lowcountry’s Culinary Institute of the South is set to open in the fall of 2020 in Bluffton’s Buckwalter Place.
This 26,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility is funded by more than $11.5 million from Beaufort County, Beaufort County School District and the Town of Bluffton.
The Institute will offer associate degrees and certificates in a variety of in-demand culinary disciplines and specialties and will feature six academic classrooms, two teaching kitchens, two bake labs, a lecture theater and a teaching restaurant.
Also integral to the Institute is The Interpretive Center, an interactive museum that will showcase immersive exhibits, guest lecturers and hands-on seminars. The Center is the first of its kind in the South and will attract residents and tourists alike to discover the history of Southern food.
Like any good culinary endeavor, the better the chef, the better the experience, and TCL thinks it has one of the best. Chef Miles Huff has been tapped to oversee TCL’s expansive project and brings leadership and experience to the table.
“The Institute will elevate culinary as a profession and as an industry here in the Lowcountry,” Huff said.
Huff is a graduate of Johnson and Wales and an American Culinary Federation (ACF) Certified Culinary Educator (CCE). It’s Huff’s passion for students that really sets him apart. His standards are high but his personal approach in the classroom helps students succeed. In addition, he is dedicated to expanding partnerships with area high schools, which will enhance the pipeline to TCL’s programs and to local employers.
The College seeks to raise an additional $2 million in private contributions to support student scholarships and start-up costs.
