Culinary students at Lurleen B. Wallace Community College are getting the chance to share their delicious skills with the public, and are receiving college credit for their work.

Renee LeMaire, director of marketing and development for LBW, said it is all part of a new addition to the culinary program that emphasizes the importance of delivery and interacting with the customers being served.

“We just started this,” LeMaire said. “The students are not only cooking, but they are actually serving the food.”

LeMaire said one of the great things about the new program is that anyone can take part in it for a very inexpensive price.

“It’s open to the public,” she said. “Tickets are $8 and you can buy them at the bookstore in the student center (on Andalusia’s campus). They serve the meals on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 12:15 p.m.”

LeMaire said the $8 charge goes toward covering the cost of food items used in the meals.

Chef and culinary instructor Michael Whelan said serving the meals to a live crowd of hungry patrons has only been a part of the program for a matter of weeks now, but added the experience it gives students is invaluable.

“It helps them develop timing,” Whelan said. “It really helps with having a goal set and having a sense of urgency, which has to be developed in this industry.”

Whelan said the students prepare and serve a four-course meal including an appetizer, soup, salad, entrée and dessert. Thursday’s menu included a salad made from heirloom tomatoes, ribbons of winter squash and topped with a balsamic vinaigrette glaze; New England clam chowder; and an entrée of chicken bordelaise.

The next opportunity to take part in the meals will be Wed., March 12, and Thurs., March 13. There is a limit of 10 people per meal. LeMaire said there will be one final opportunity to sample the students’ work during the first three weeks of April prior to the end of the current semester.