Institute of Culinary Education - History

History

ICE traces its roots to 1975, when Peter Kump opened Peter Kump's New York Cooking School, one of the first culinary schools in New York City. Kump's philosophy was to concentrate on teaching cooking techniques and flavor development at a time when most other cooking schools were only teaching recipes.

In 1983, Kump inaugurated a professional program to train aspiring chefs. A number of his former teachers, including James Beard, Simone Beck, Marcella Hazan and Diana Kennedy taught classes. A number of other notable chefs, including Julia Child, James Peterson, David Bouley and Jacques Pépin, were frequent guest instructors.

When Kump died in 1995, the school was acquired by Rick Smilow, an entrepreneur with an interest in education and the culinary arts.

After the acquisition, the school’s professional programs expanded, requiring a move to its current location in the Chelsea neighborhood of the Manhattan borough of New York City at 50 W. 23rd Street, where it has expanded twice, in 1999 and 2004. In 1999, the older East 92nd Street facility was closed.

In 2001, the school's name was changed to The Institute of Culinary Education.